With Memorial Day Weekend upon us and summer cookout season coming this week’s menu is full of dishes to keep you guests and your belly happy. Check out last week’s menu for dishes for on the grill and have an awesome cookout!

Menu

Chilled Soups

Cucumber

Corn and Coconut

Watermelon

Red Pepper and Beet

Dips, Salsas, Snacks

Zucchini-Mint Bruschetta

Yellow Tomato Salsa

Apple Salsa with Cinnamon Pita

Warm Feta Spread

Fried Green Tomatoes with Spiced Red Pepper Mayo

Fried Green Tomato BLT

Fennel Fritters with Spiced Red Pepper Mayo

Salsas For Grilled Food

Indian Influenced Salsa

Watermelon Salsa

Chilled Soups

Cucumber, Basil, Mint (And it’s no cook!)
1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup fresh basil

1/2 cup fresh mint

1/4 cup sliced scallion

1 cup water

1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Kosher salt for seasoning

Puree sour cream, basil, mint, scallion, and water in blender. Add cucumber. Pulse until slightly chunky. Stir lemon juice and hot sauce, season with salt. Place in fridge, covered,  for 3 hours. Garnish with chopped cucumber, watermelon, or cantaloupe.

Corn & Coconut
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped

3 cups fresh corn kernels

1 can light coconut milk

2 1/2 cups water

Kosher salt and pepper for seasoning

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Bring jalapeno chile, corn kernels, coconut milk, and water to boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until corn is tender (20 min). Fill blender half away (to avoid messy kitchens), puree. Strain through a coarse sieve into a large bowl. (discard solids) Season with salt and pepper. Chill, covered, for at least 3 hours up to overnight. Stir in  fresh lime juice. Garnish with fresh corn kernels and season.

 

Watermelon Soup

6 pounds (9 cups) watermelon diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup light sweet wine (i.e. Riesling OR 3/4 cup simple syrup)

2 teaspoons ginger, chopped

8 teaspoons crumbled feta

1/4 sparkling water or wine

1 pint blueberries

1/2 cucumber, chopped

 

Combine 2 cups watermelon with mint and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.

Blend remaining 7 cups watermelon, lemon juice, wine, ginger in blender until smooth.

Let sit 1/2 hour. Strain soup. Mix in sparkling water/wine. Divide between 8 bowls. Top each with reserved watermelon, blueberries, cucumber, and feta.

 

Sweet Red Pepper and Beet Soup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, chopped

3 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 red beets, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup water

3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and pepper for seasoning

4 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled

lemon wedges, for serving

 

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook stirring occasionally until shallots are translucent and tender, about 4 minutes. Add bell peppers and beets, and stir to coat. Cover partially and reduce heat. Simmer for about an hour.

Remove saucepan from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Working in batches puree mixture in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled, up to overnight.

When serving garnish with goat cheese and lemon wedge, season with salt and pepper.

 

Dips, Salsas and Snacks

Zucchini-Mint Bruschetta
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
ground pepper to taste
4 medium zucchini, trim ends, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
a baguette, Italian bread to serve as a bruschetta

low-med grill

In a roasting pan mix olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper. Add zucchini (in batches if necessary) and let it sit for a few minutes. Remove allowing excess to drain back into pan and put zucchini on the grill. (HOLD ON TO THAT OIL MIXTURE!, you’ll need it)
Grill zucchini 5-8 min turn occasionally so its golden brown and soft
Allow to cool a bit and chop it up coarse. Put in bowl. Add mint, garlic, and a bit of the oil mixture to taste. Season to taste. Toast the bread on grill or oven lightly oiling both sides

 

Yellow Tomato Salsa

1 ½ pounds yellow tomatoes into quarters
½ red onion, chopped
¼ cup torn basil leaves
½ teaspoon salt
Serve with hearts of romaine, sliced zucchini, and crackers

Pulse tomatoes in a food processor until roughly chopped. Transfer to a bowl and mix in onion, basil, salt.
Serve.

 

Apple Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Pita

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 ground cinnamon

2 rounds pita bread, split

1 tablespoon apricot jam

1 Granny Smith apple, diced

1 tablespoon finely diced celery

1 tablespoon finely diced carrots

1 tablespoon golden raisins

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and set aside.

Cut pita rounds into wedges, place on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Place jelly in medium microwavable bowl, microwave on high for 10 seconds. Stir in apple, carrots, celery, raisins, and lemon juice. Serve  with pita chips.

 

Warm Feta Spread

¼ cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 pound Feta
Serve with sliced cucumber and pita chips

Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and garlic. Cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Break up feta into a serving bowl. Top with the warm pepper mixture.
Serve

 

Fried Green tomatoes with Spiced Red Pepper Mayo
 Spiced Bell Pepper Mayo
2 red bell peppers
1 egg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2-3 tsp white wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
1 ¼ cups sunflower oil
2 red chiles, seeded and chopped

For the mayo, using tongs, carefully hold each red bell pepper in turn over a high gas flame, turning frequently, for 8-10 minutes, or until blackened all over (or alternatively preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the bell peppers on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven, turning frequently, for 10-15 minutes, or until blackened all over- do the tomatoes if you are doing the same way, but on a separate baking sheet, salt and pepper the tomatoes prior to cooking)

Put the bell peppers in a paper bag, seal and let cool. Peel off the charred skins and remove the seeds.

Put the egg, mustard, vinegar, and salt in a blender and whiz to combine. With the motor running, slowly trickle in about 1/3 of the oil. Once the mixture starts to thicken, add the remaining oil more quickly. When all the oil is added, add the chiles and roasted bell peppers and whiz until smooth. Stir in a good grinding of pepper, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

 

Fried Green Tomato

½ cup all purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 pound green tomatoes, sliced ½ inch thick
½ cup canola oil
Salt

Place the flour, eggs, and cornmeal in 2 separate shallow bowls. Dip the tomatoes first in the flour, then in the eggs (letting any excess drip off) and finally in the cornmeal, pressing gently to help it adhere.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the tomatoes until golden, 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

For Fried Green Tomato, BLT

2 slices bacon per sandwich

2 thick slices bread per sandwich

Spiced Red Pepper Mayo

2 fried green tomatoes per sandwich

1 piece leafy romaine per sandwich

 

Preheat oven to 450. Place bacon strips (2 per sandwich) on a rimmed baking sheet. Put bacon in preheated oven 8 minutes per side (depending on desired crispness check on last 8 minutes).

Using two thick slices of bread, begin to assemble sandwich. First mayo on both sides of bread, then add 1 leafy piece of romaine, 2 slices bacon, 2 FGT, bread. Serve.

 

Crumbed Fennel Fritters with Spiced Bell Pepper Mayo
(add roasted tomatoes to make a really pretty and delicious vegetarian dish)

3 fennel bulbs, trimmed
2 cups stale breadcrumbs
3 ½ oz Parmesan cheese
2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
1 egg, beaten
Sunflower oil, for frying
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving

Spiced Bell Pepper Mayo
2 red bell peppers
1 egg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2-3 tsp white wine vinegar
Pinch of salt
1 ¼ cups sunflower oil
2 red chiles, seeded and chopped

For the mayo, using tongs, carefully hold each red bell pepper in turn over a high gas flame, turning frequently, for 8-10 minutes, or until blackened all over (or alternatively preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the bell peppers on a baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven, turning frequently, for 10-15 minutes, or until blackened all over- do the tomatoes if you are doing the same way, but on a separate baking sheet, salt and pepper the tomatoes prior to cooking)

Put the bell peppers in a paper bag, seal and let cool. Peel off the charred skins and remove the seeds.

Put the egg, mustard, vinegar, and salt in a blender and whiz to combine. With the motor running, slowly trickle in about 1/3 of the oil. Once the mixture starts to thicken, add the remaining oil more quickly. When all the oil is added, add the chiles and roasted bell peppers and whiz until smooth. Stir in a good grinding of pepper, then cover and refrigerate until needed.

Cook the fennel bulbs in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 15 minutes, or until almost tender. Drain and let cool, then carefully slice.

Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese together, then stir in the fennel seeds (if using), and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the breadcrumb mixture to a large plate. Put the egg in a shallow dish. Coat the fennel slices in the egg and press the breadcrumb mixture firmly onto both sides.

Cover the bottom of a large skillet with oil to a depth of ½ inch. Heat over medium heat, then add the fennel slices and cook, turning once, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with lemon wedges to squeeze over and the Spiced Bell Pepper Mayo

 

Salsas for on top of grilled foods

Good Indian influenced "salsa"

For grilled fish (i.e. sea bass, snapper, tuna, salmon), chicken, or lamb. Serve with a side of pita
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peel and cut to half moons
1 vidalia onion, sliced into half moons
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut (usually at Whole Foods type store *DO NOT USE COCONUT from baking isle)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 serrano chile, chopped (add another if you like things spicy)
juice of 1 lime (or lemon)

Toss it all together add salt or chili powder to taste, pile it on your grilled protein of choice

Watermelon Salsa
Great on white flakey fishes and chicken
1/2 small seedless watermelon, rind removed, cut in 1/2 dice
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded chopped
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped FINELY
1 lime juiced
(I like to add a splash of rice wine vinegar)
salt and pepper

mix it up and serve

Menu
Sunday Rigatoni with Grilled Peppers and Onions
Monday Grilled Trout with Bacon and Spinach
Tuesday Pineapple Duck Sticks with Dark Rum Glaze and Coconut Rice
Wednesday Grilled Tuna Nicoise
Thursday Grilled Port Portobello Mushrooms
Friday Prosciutto –Wrapped Pork Kebabs
Saturday Grilled Cedar-Plank Salmon

Grocery List
Produce
2 red onions
1 large vidalia onion
1 shallot
3 cloves garlic
1 small fresh ginger root
1/2 pound Yukon potatoes
1 jalapeno
1 mango
1 pineapple
2 large red bell peppers
1 large orange bell pepper
3 bunches spinach
9 lemons
1 cucumber
1/2 pound green beans
6 large portobello mushrooms, 4-5 inches in diameter

Herbs
1 bunch basil
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch thyme
1 bunch tarragon

Meat
4 bacon slices*
4 trout fillets, 6oz each
4 yellowfin tuna steaks, 6oz each
4 salmon fillets, 6oz each
1 1/2 pounds boneless duck breast
2 pork tenderloins
8oz thinly sliced prosciutto

Dairy
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs

Staples
Kosher salt*
pepper*
sherry vinegar*
jasmine rice
soy sauce*
red wine vinegar*
balsamic vinegar*
honey*
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter*
dark brown sugar*
vegetable oil*
extra virgin olive oil*
Dijon mustard*
Worchestershire sauce*
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

Misc
1 small bottle Italian Dressing (or packet and mix at home)
12 oz rigatoni
1 can Goya coconut water
1/4 cup dark rum (I prefer Cruzan)
1 bottle mustard based bbq sauce
1 Tablespoon port wine
splash of orange juice
1 cedar grilling plank

Recipes
Sunday
Rigatoni with Grilled Peppers and Onions
2 medium red onions, sliced into ½ inch thick rings
1 large red bell pepper, cut into quarters
1 large orange bell pepper, cut into quarters
1 tablespoon Italian Dressing
Salt and pepper
12 oz rigatoni
1 bunch spinach, stems trimmed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup basil leaves, thinly sliced
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heat a grill to medium-high heat
In a large bowl, toss the onions, bell peppers, dressing, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into bite size pieces.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return the pasta to the pot.
Add the grilled vegetables, spinach, the reserved pasta water, and ¾ cup of the Parmesan to the pasta and toss to combine. Top with the basil and remaining Parmesan before serving.

Monday
Grilled Trout with Bacon and Spinach
4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2 inch dice
4 trout fillets, about 6 oz each, skin intact
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 freshly ground pepper
3/4 cups baby spincah
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
4 lemons, sliced

Prepare a grill for cooking over high heat. First oil the grill rack.
In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Reserve bacon fat in the skillet.
Brush the fillets on both sides with the reserved bacon fat and sprinkle  the flesh side with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Lay out the lemon slices to form a bed for the trout to cook. Lay the trout on the lemons, flesh side down, and cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Using a large spatula, turn the fish and cook until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter and cover to keep warm.
Put the spinach in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pour or spoon off and discard all but 2 tablespoons fat in the pan and heat the skillet over high heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in  the vinegar. Pour the warm vinaigrette over the spinach and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Divide the spinach between 4 serving plates, to each with a fillet, and sprinkle with bacon bits. Serve immediately.

Tuesday
Pineapple Duck Sticks with Dark Rum Glaze and Coconut Rice
Coconut Rice
Substitute 1 can coconut water for water, but top off with water and cook jasmine rice according to package.
 
Pineapple Duck Sticks with Dark Rum Glaze
Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1//4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
Ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds boneless duck breast, skin left on, cut into 2 inch cubes
Rum Glaze
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 2 inch cubes
vegetable oil for the grill
 
In a medium glass bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Add the duck and marinate for 1-2 hours in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before grilling.
To make the glaze, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the brown sugar and rum and cook, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved, 2-3 minutes. The glaze should get syrupy; watch carefully to prevent burning. Cover and keep at room temperature.
Soak eight 10-12 inch bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Prepare a medium high grill.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the duck from the marinade, discard the marinade. Thread the meat and pineapple alternatively onto each of the skewers.
Brush the grill grate with vegetable oil. Grill the kebabs for 3-5 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or 7-10 minutes to cook the duck through. Brush with the glaze at least once on each side.
Serve over rice.

Wednesday
Grilled Tuna Nicoise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon  extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt, split
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, split
1/2 pound green beans, stems trimmed
1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
4 yellowfin tuna steaks, about 6oz each
4 cups mixed salad greens
1/4 cup Nicoise olives
2 hard boiled large eggs, quartered
4 lemons, sliced

Prepare the dressing in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, tarragon, salt, and pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 2 quarts salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook just until crisp-tender, 4-7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain the beans and set aside. Add the potatoes to the pot of boiling water and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
Prepare a grill for cooking over high heat. Lay out layer of lemon slices.
Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Lay fish on lemons. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side for medium rare, or until the desired degree of doneness.
In a large bowl combine the beans, potatoes, salad greens, and olives. Drizzle with the dressing and toss well. Arrange the salad mixture on a large platter with the tuna steaks and egg. Serve immediately.

Thursday
Grilled Port Portobello Mushrooms
4 large portobello mushrooms, 4-5 inches in diameter
1/2 cup mustard-based barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon port wine
1 tablespoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

Clean the mushrooms using a damp paper towel. Remove the stems and pat the caps dry.
Combine all remaining ingredients in a gallon-sized ziplock bag and shake well. Add the mushroom caps and coat evenly. Marinate for 30-60 minutes. Do not overmarinate as the mushrooms will soak up everything and become pverpowering.
Cook the mushrooms over direct medium heat for 4 minutes per side or until tender.
Serve over mixed greens.

Friday
Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Kebabs
2 pork tenderloins, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
8 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 large vidalia onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1 inch squares
2 large portobello mushrooms, dark gills scraped away, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil

Wrap each piece of pork in enough prosciutto to cover it. Alternatively thread the prosciutto wrapped pork with the vegetables pieces onto 8 skewers.
Prepare grill for medium heat. Brush kabobs with olive oil and grill fro 12 minutes, turning each skewer a quarter turn ever 3 minutes, until the pork is no longer pink in the center. Serve immediately.

Saturday
Grilled Cedar-Plank Salmon
4 pieces salmon fillet (preferably wild), 6 oz  
Salt and pepper
1 cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
1 mango, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
a splash of orange juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cedar grilling plank, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
Heat grill to medium. Season the salmon with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, arrange on the plank.
Place the plank on the grill and cook, covered, until the salmon is opaque and flakes easily, 12-15 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the cucumber, jalapeno, mango, lemon juice, oil, orange juice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Serve with the salmon (and some jasmine rice if desired)

There are many conflicting terms out there relating to the food that we consume to fuel our bodies; organic, free range, high fructose corn syrup- yes? no? what is it exactly, buy local, trans fat, don’t eat sugar, don’t use artificial sweeteners, natural, grass fed, the list goes on and I am sure so does your confusion. We are seeing outbreaks of mad cow, H1N1, E. coli, bird flu, superweeds. We are seeing cancers, type 2 diabetes and obesity popping up regularly in our children, now being projected to die before their parents. What is going on?  Why is this happening? There are conflictions on how we should raise and produce our food, do we need industrial farms to feed the world, can we feed the people with sustainable farming? Why are major corporations of industrial farms eligible for subsidies? What are subsidies? This is the food that we eat. The food that our body needs to keep us alive. The food that we give to our children so they grow up to be healthy and strong. Yet there has been a curtain drawn over where our food comes from, what it goes through to get on our plates. Fortunately, there is a movement happening, and in my personal opinion a very exciting movement. People are starting to ask questions, starting to say we don’t like it the way that the majority of businesses are bringing our food to our grocery stores, starting to ask what this is that we are actually eating.

Let me start with a bit of a timeline for you. In 1901, a 30 year veteran pharmaceutical engineer, John Francis Queeny, founded Monsanto*. The company’s first product was the artificial sweetener, saccharin. It sold this, caffeine, vanillin to the Coca-Cola company. In 1910 industrial chicken farming began when a woman ordered 50 chicks and received 500, realizing how much money she could earn industrial chicken farming began. In the 1940′s was the discovery of bovine growth hormone BST (by Monsanto),  synthetic Vitamin D and antibiotics and a war that leftover a lot of atomic bombs. These discoveries aloud for animals to be grown bigger and faster and plants that could be sprayed with the leftover bombs to keep the weeds and pests away. (By the way atomic bombs also used flouride). In the 1950′s the hog and cow became industrial farmed thanks to the use of synthetic vitamins and antibiotics. A quick video of a real commercial shown in the 1960’s (first shown to me at AWA panel discussion).  And industrial farming booms. Corn and soy takes over the fields, farmers sell off their animals and just plant more and more crop. The animals move inside to the cramped industrial farms. In 1982, Monsanto has the first genetically modified plant cell, 1985 was the first field of GMO crops. Come to present day where we are having superbugs and superweeds, obesity and diabetes. Coincidence?

If you are a follower of Arubula’s Kitchen on facebook or twitter you have been bombarded with my urge for you to watch movies such as “Food, Inc”, “Fresh”, “King Corn” and the television show, “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”, a list of books recommended on Amazon, not to mention the countless articles I have posted. You see through the menus that I post and email that these are dinners that use the food in it’s original form, trying to stay away from processed foods (aka “short cuts” or “fast food”). You have also heard of my attendance at Farmer’s Market, movie screenings, local farms, meeting with local farmers, and discussions regarding food.

I recently had the great opportunity to attend a panel discussion by Animal Welfare Approved. This panel included David Kirby, author of “Animal Factory: The Looming Threat of Industrial Pig, Dairy, and Poultry Farms to Humans and the Environment”, Nicolette Hahn Niman, an attorney and author of “Righteous Porkchop: Finding a Life and Good Food Beyond Factory Farming”, Carole Morison, former Perdue chicken farmer seen on “Food, Inc” and activist for the rights of family farmers, Dr. Patricia Whisnant, AWA certified farmer on Rain Crow Ranch in Jackson, MO and President of the American Grassfed Association, and Andrew Gunther, AWA program director. What a great group of people, right!?

Some interesting questions came up in the discussion. Can we forgive the farmers? Do we need to forgive the farmer? Can we feed the world with sustainable farms? Do we need to feed the world? And my own personal question, how much do you think about/care about what you are putting in your body, in your childrens’ bodies, what we call food?

David Kirby was asked to go down, as an investigative reporter, by Robert Kennedy to Prairie Grove, NC. This town has an unusual amount of cancers in children, 3 boys in the same class in school have the same extremely rare case of testicular cancer. What was going on? Why were these children and this community getting so sick? Kirby came to find that the chicken and hog industrial farms had been feeding the animals arsenic (something done regularly in factory farms as the animals will be at slaughter before the arsenic kills them) and the industrial farms had taken the waste of the animals and spread it around the town and at the schools as fertilizer. Carole Morison shared that when the chickens are being processed there isn’t an actual test to check the levels of arsenic in the meats, but a “looker” someone who just looks to deem the chicken safe or not for human consumption. Kirby seeing what this town in North Carolina was going through did not stop his research and ended up with his current book, “Animal Factory”.

This town is not alone with it’s misuse of animal waste. Perdue who brags about the safe practices of ridding it’s waste, only properly rids 10% and 90% is dumped into the Chesapeake Bay. As we are all very concerned about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico currently, it is actually the same area that every summer becomes a dead zone (nothing can live, there is not oxygen in the water) from the waste runoff from the industrial farms. The state of Oklahoma is currently suing the state of Arkansas because of the excess chicken waste polluting the rivers that they share.

Family farms are a key word in the food movement, but what does it actually mean. There are factory family farms, like Carole Morison, and there are family farms that sustain on their own. Morison was a chicken farmer for Perdue. She did not own her product, if she wanted chicken she had to drive down to the grocery store and buy a Perdue chicken or equivalent. She couldn’t eat the chickens she was raising, but Perdue left all the waste for her to dispose of.  She was trapped financially as corporate continuously had her doing modifications to her chicken houses to maintain her contracts. She drew the line at not allowing the chickens to see the light of day.

The family farmers who are still doing it on their own run into the problem that there are very limited places to process their products as the processors are owned by corporations, 3 corporations who own 90% of the beef industry.

Pacific Natural Foods, one of Arubula’s Kitchen favorite and trusted brands, is AWA approved and a true family farm. The Eggerts founded Pacific Natural Foods in 1987. They wanted to “make simple things that taste good”. In 1994, Eggert read “The Hungry Spirit” by Charles Hardy which showed him balance in social, environmental, and employee responsibilities with being a success in business. Eggert wanted sustainability to be apart of Pacific Natural Foods core.  They created the label “Certified to the Source” in 1997, guaranteeing their product from the ground up. They address issues such as waste reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and wildlife habitat protection and by doing it the right way they save money.  “Sustainability is a journey. We find out that something didn’t work out, so we’ll try something else”.  When they were growing their business they purchased a dairy.“Even being in the food industry like we were, we didn’t know or realize some of the practices  that were occurring at the dairies and they were pretty alarming to us”. They set out to be the best, provide the best, and guarantee the best. “AWA was not only at the top, but head and shoulders above the rest”. And here they are today providing a trusted brand that and making money!

Organic. Grass-fed. No antibiotics. What do these labels mean? The word organic is owned by the government. It is expensive to get certified and many local farms are not attempting the get the label as they stand behind their clean processes and don’t want to get mixed up in the government hubble jubble. Grass-fed means anything that is green. Corn that is still green is considered grass-fed. Feed lots that mix any percentage of “grass” in with their antibiotic, synthetic feed is considered grass-fed. It really means a whole lot of nothing if there isn’t another label, such as AWA, there to support it. No antibiotics. Tyson came out with no antibiotics labels on some of their products. What they did was the first 17 days of the chicks life they were on a feeding tube, being administered antibiotics, but since the chicks had not taken their first breath of air yet, they were not considered alive, therefore no antibiotics. The industrial farms are manipulating every which way in order to sell you “natural”, “organic”, “grass-fed”, “no antibiotics” as they have seen the consumer desire for them, but until the consumers makes a real statement with our purchases they won’t change. For a helpful list of what’s behind the label, click here

How to feed the world? How can we feed the world without the use of  industrial farms?
Do we really need to feed the world? Currently we are putting farmers in other countries out of work as we export. Big industrial farms are suing small farmers in other countries in order to export and drive them out of business. The small farmers in other countries, the same as the small farmers in ours, can’t afford to spend years in courtrooms against corporate lawyers and end up with nothing. In Mexico, the US was exporting beef. The Mexican borders turned it away as it was too high in metals, so it was turned around and sold to Americans. After the Cold War, Russia declined the US chickens as they were full of hormones and antibiotics. With the risk of mad cow, E.coli, H1N1, bird flu does the US really feel itself the #1 source to feed the world when we compromise our health without a second thought? These diseases have come from factory farms, where the dead cows are being fed to cows, chicken scratch fed to cows, pigs, chickens, mixed with arsenic, hormones, antibiotics, and put to slaughter barely able, if able to stand on their own 2 or 4 legs. Nicolette Hahn Niman gave a great quote “Don’t eat less meat, dairy, eggs; Eat better meat, dairy, eggs”.

The corn fields you see in middle America aren’t growing the corn you see in the grocery stores, this corn doesn’t even taste remotely good, it is to be made into high fructose corn syrup, feed, fillers in foods, all of those big unpronounceable words on the ingredient lists, or “natural ingredient” as labeled when a product wants to stay clear of the corn ingredient. Same is happening with the soybean. And don’t forget the amount of pesticides and insecticides are are dumped on these crops. Miles and miles, acres and acres, entire states of food we cannot eat unless put through a processing plant to add it to something else to make it into a food that just causes diabetes and obesity and cancers.
So there are miles and miles of crop we can’t eat and animals sitting on top of each other barely alive full of chemicals in order to make it to slaughter and corporate America just keeps making the next pesticide and antibiotic in order to “fix the problem”. What is the future of farming? Dr. Patricia Whisnant says it is all up to the consumer. The corporate giants want to make money, if we demand change, we will get change. Use your local farmers, participate in your city’s CSA’s, support the farmers who are doing right. Carole Morison says get connected with your food, show your children where their food comes from. Nicolette Hahn Niman says we need to make it possible for farmers to choose. She (unlike Michael Pollan) thinks subsidies are good if used correctly. If the government would support the clean farmer, give out subsidies to help those who want to convert their farm, give them to those who rotate pastures, and stop antibiotics. There are currently $10 billion each year for subsidies going to those growing corn (that we don’t need) major industrial farmers who already have plenty of money. Her wise words get “Food from places I’d like to visit”.

What about the antibiotics and the profit if we put the animals out in pasture? Ask the farmers who do it. The farmers who rotate pastures have found no need for antibiotics. There isn’t a need to buy food as the animals take care of that in the life cycle, fertilizing where they have eaten and coming back around to new healthy growing grasses. The chickens eat the mealworms out of the cow patties while pecking, it is nature doing what nature does best, it survives. Currently nature is fighting back with the superbugs and the superweeds, giving us it’s warnings. It’s time to listen.

Your “AH-HA” moment: I don’t expect this blog entry to be your moment where you go “AH-HA” and make a full change. I also don’t expect it to happen all at once. It’s a gradual change. But those small changes, starting by thinking about everything you put in your body- where did it come from, how was it raised?, and eventually it becomes habit. Food will no longer be something to make those stomach pangs go away, but an actual relationship with your food. I do encourage you to read, watch, learn where your food is really coming from. Would you feed it to your family? As for feeding the world, my personal goal is one plate at a time. I will start with my table, if you’re following Arubula’s Kitchen’s menus then your tables, I will share tips and am always here for questions, I will continue to read, listen, learn, and share. I will continue to visit my local farms, farmer’s markets, and plea with my grocery stores to stock local. I will continue to support the people who are doing it sustainably.

This is a menu created for a family of four and as a bonus includes a muffin recipe and a dessert recipe. I keep reading/hearing over and over that it is too expensive to buy fresh ingredients, well, I priced this one out assuming you have completely bare cupboards and according to peapod.com this menu costs under $125, as of last week’s specials and pricing. That is buying the normal size package (not $10 dinners that only price out the portion you use). I encourage you to go to your Farmer’s Market and meet the people who are growing these ingredients locally. The kids will love it. Many Farmer’s Markets are accepting food stamps or have a program for certain income brackets, so please don’t be discouraged from buying fresh food!

 

Menu

Sunday Roast Chicken

with Vidalia Onion, Baby Carrots,

and Roast Garlic

Monday Asparagus Risotto

Tuesday Cauliflower Pasta

Wednesday Chicken with Poor Man’s Leeks

Thursday Risotto Cakes over Greens

Friday Open Face Turkey-Nectarine on Ciabatta Bread

with Strawberry & Mint Salad

Saturday Roast Mint Lamb

with Stir Fried Cabbage, Juniper, and Bacon

 

Grocery List

Produce

1 bulb garlic

3 Vidalia Onions

1 bag baby carrots

3 lemons

1 head spring cabbage

1 bunch aspargus

1 head cauliflower

1 bunch leeks

1 package greens (arugula, romaine, etc)

2 nectarines

1 quart strawberries

9 oz rhubarb

1 small box golden raisins

3 pieces preserved ginger

 

Herbs

1 bunch flat leaf parsley

1 bunch mint

 

Staples

1 small bottle extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Risotto

Spaghetti

Hot Pepper Flakes

Sugar

Honey

Mustard

All-Purpose Flour

Baking Powder

1 quart Chicken Stock*

*you can make your own chicken stock with the leftover chicken bones from Sunday night’s dinner. Instructions at bottom

 

Misc

10 mint tea bags

juniper berries

cheap white wine

1/4 cup pitted olives (feel free to grab from the salad bar)

3/4 cup almonds

1 loaf ciabatta bread

 

Meat

1 whole chicken

4 lbs leg of lamb, shank end

1 package bacon

1/2 lb sliced turkey

 

Dairy

1 wedge Parmesan cheese

unsalted butter

mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1 pint vanilla bean ice cream

 

Recipes

Sunday

Roast Chicken with Vidalia Onion, Baby Carrots, Roast Garlic

1 whole chicken

2 Vidalia Onion, quartered

1/2 small bag baby carrots

8 peeled garlic cloves

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated

4 tablespoons kosher salt, split

1/2 lemon, cut into slices

Position rack in center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet.

Remove the neck and giblets, pat chicken dry.

Generously rub the body and neck cavities with salt. Place chicken breast side up in the pan and brush with 3 tablespoons olive oil.

Place the slices of lemon and 3 garlic cloves inside the cavity of the chicken.

In a large bowl mix the onion, carrots, garlic with the remaining two tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Covering vegetables well.  Place vegetables around chicken in pan.

Put the chicken in the oven and roast. For a 4 pound bird roasting time will be 55-65 minutes. For larger birds, 1 hour for the first 4 pounds and 8 minutes for each additional pound. Juices will run clear and thermometer will read 170-175 in the thigh when done.

Remove chicken when done and let rest for 15 minutes.

***Keep leftover chicken for later in the week. Make stock from chicken bones***

Chicken Stock

*note these ingredients are not included in the grocery list

4- 5 1/2 pounds chicken parts (back, necks, wings, legs, or thighs- use those bones!)

enough water to cover chicken

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer. Skim often until impurities no longer appear, about 30 minutes.

Add 1 onion, coarsely chopped, 1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped, 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped, and a mix of parsley or parsley stems, 8 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried), 1 bay leaf wrapped in a cheesecloth.

Simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours, adding water as needed to cover. Strain into a clean pot or heat proof plastic container. Let cool, uncovered, then refrigerate. Remove the fat when ready to use.

 

Monday

Asparagus Risotto

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 bunch asparagus, chopped

1 Vidalia onion, minced

2 cups Risotto

1/2 cup white wine (pour yourself a glass too and enjoy the patience and love it takes to make risotto)

Chicken Stock

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup Parmesan, finely grated

Melt in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat butter. Add onion, stirring over low heat until soft and translucent but not browned! In a separate pot over medium heat simmer 8 cups chicken stock.

Increase the heat under the onions to medium and stir in Risotto. Continue to stir until you see white dot in the center of each grain, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup white wine. Continue to stir to avoid sticking as the wine is absorbed by the rice. Then start stirring in the stock, 1 cup at a time. Each cup must be absorbed before the next is added. When 6 cups have been absorbed, add only 1/2 cup stock at a time. It should be tender but still a little firm to the bite- never mushy.

Take the risotto off the heat and add in butter and asparagus. Gently fold in cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let risotto stand for a minute or two before serving.

***Separate half of risotto for later in the week***

Tuesday

Cauliflower Pasta

1/4 cup pitted olives

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

1 head cauliflower, cut into 1” florets

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1/4 cup water

3/4 pound spaghetti

1 oz Parmesan, finely grated

3/4 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Pulse olives and parsley in a food processor.

Heat oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat . Add cauliflower and salt stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 8 minutes.

Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 3-5 minutes more. Stir in water and boil for 1 minute.

Add olive mixture and cook until heated through.

Meanwhile cook pasta until al dente. To the side, reserve 1 cup pasta water.

Add cauliflower mixture to pasta and toss well. Add cheese and toss again. Moisten with pasta water.

Sprinkle with almonds and serve with additional side of cheese.

Wednesday

Chicken and Leek’s with Poor Man’s Parmesan

*leftover chicken

9 leeks, trimmed and halved lengthwise

1 lemon, juice and finely grated

1 tsp sugar

5 Tbsp mascarpone cheese

salt and pepper

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1 cup fresh ciabatta crumbs

Chicken

Reheat chicken and season as necessary.

Leek’s with Poor Man’s Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lay the leeks out in an even layer in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle over the lemon juice and scatter the lemon rind, then sprinkle the sugar evenly over. Season to taste with pepper and evenly dot with butter. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the leeks are beginning to soften and carmelize.

Make the Poor Man’s Parmesan. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring until crisp and golden. Season with little salt and pepper and set aside.

Remove leeks from oven and evenly dot with the mascarpone cheese. Scatter the Poor Man’s Parmesan over the leeks and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the mascarpone has melted and the crumbs are hot and crisp. Serve immediately.

Thursday

Risotto Cakes with Greens

*leftover asparagus risotto

1 cup all purpose flour

greens

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1 oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Form leftover risotto into 8 balls and flatten into 1/2 inch thick patties. Dredge the patties in flour and place on baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Dredge cakes one more time, shaking off excess and in two batches, fry cakes until golden brown and warmed through, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Serve aside greens dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. Top the plate with Parmesan.

 

Friday

Open Face Turkey-Nectarine Sandwich with Strawberry-Mint Salad

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon mustard

4 thick slices ciabatta bread

1/2 pound sliced turkey breast

2 nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced

6 ounces Brie, sliced (use any extra Brie on salad)

salt and pepper

1/2 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Make honey mustard by mixing the honey and the mustard (yes it’s that easy and tastes that much better). Spread the honey mustard evenly over the bread. Top with the turkey, nectarine slices, and Brie. Season with salt and pepper.

Strawberry Mint Salad

1/2 quart Strawberries, sliced

1 generous tablespoon mint

greens

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

In a large bowl, mix strawberries, mint greens,  cheese, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sandwiches.

 

Saturday

Roast Mint Lamb with Stir Fried Cabbage, Junipers, and Bacon

Roast Mint Lamb

1 bulb garlic (use what’s left from the week)

1/3 cup mint tea (open up approx. 10 tea bags)

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon pepper

Juice from 1 lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

4 lbs leg of lamb, shank end

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Set half of the garlic aside. Chop the remaining half of the cloves with a bit of salt to make a paste and transfer to a small bowl. Crumble the mint between your fingers and add to the garlic. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, and while stirring add enough of the olive oil to make a paste.

Cut the reserved garlic cloves into slivers, put in a small bowl, and mix in a spoonful of the marinade to coat the slivers. Stud the lamb with the garlic slivers by making small slits all over the lamb with a sharp knife and slipping in the garlic. Spread the remaining marinade evenly over the lamb.

Place the lamb on a rack over a roasting pan or on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the leg over and continue to roast until meat temperature reaches 130 degrees, about 30-35 minutes more. Allow meat to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.

Stir-friend Spring Cabbage with Juniper and Bacon

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Vidalia onion, sliced

3 strips bacon lardons

1 spring cabbage, shredded

1 teaspoon juniper berries, lightly crushed

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes, or until softened but not colored. Add the bacon lardons and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked.

Meanwhile, lightly steam the cabbage.

Add the steamed cabbage and juniper berries to skillet and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and glistening. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, with lamb.

 

BONUS

Rhubarb, Ginger, and Raisin Muffins

Breakfast! Add some yogurt and you have a lovely breakfast!

9 oz Rhubarb, chopped into 1/2 inch lengths

1 1/8 sticks butter, melted and cooled

scant 1/2 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

generous 1/2 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons golden raisins

3 pieces preserved ginger chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper muffin cases.

Pour melted butter and milk into a large bowl and beat in the eggs. Sift the flour and baking powder together and lightly fold into the wet mixture, together with the sugar. Gently stir in the rhubarb, raisins, and ginger.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until muffins are risen and golden  and spring back when gently touched in the center. Serve warm.

 

 Strawberries and Rhubarb with Vanilla Ice Cream

Remaining rhubarb from week, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

Remaining strawberries from week, sliced

1 pint vanilla bean ice cream

Remaining mint, sliced

In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine water, sugar, and rhubarb for 5-10 minutes.

Place scoop of rhubarb and bottom of bowl, add scoop of ice cream, top with strawberries and mint. Serve immediately.

*For an extra hooha! add a splash of Grand Marnier to the rhubarb.