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I listen
I learn a lot from the comments I get back from the readers of the newsletter. Last week I emphasized corn so I thought I would use a corny color for the type - yellow. Apparently some email applications don't show the background colors. Several of our readers replied to tell me it is hard to read yellow on a white background. I also found out that when I link to an article it can be construed that I agree with what the article says. What I try to do is try to show various viewpoints in the food industry. Just for the record, I really don't like the fact the HFCS is considered a natural ingredient by the USDA. I also discovered there is a lot of disagreement on the origin of corn.
For those of you who can't read the yellow type on a white background this is what it says at the very bottom of the newsletter:
Boulder Farmers' Market is open Saturday
8am to 2pm
Longmont Farmers' Market is open Saturday
8am to 1pm
Boulder Wednesday Farmers' Market is open
4pm to 8pm
Market bucks - exchange your Credit and Debit card value for real value - fresh food.
You will find me at the market eating melon, see you there.
Mark Menagh
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Stop and Nibble the Flowers
by Carol Ann Kates
It's summertime and flowers seem to be everywhere. It's a time to enjoy fresh, beautiful flowers on our tables but also a time for using flowers in our culinary creations. Flowers not only add a bit of color to our food but interesting flavors as well. Plus, flowers make pretty and unusual garnishes.
People have been eating flowers for thousands of years. The Romans ate violets and mallow. Daylily buds have a long history in Asian cuisine. Cooking with squash blossoms is common Italian and Hispanic cultures. Rose petals are used in India as a garnish and flavoring.
Of course, it's important to know which flowers are safe to eat. If you aren't sure whether a particular flower can be consumed, consult a good food reference on edible flowers. Eating flowers that are not safe can make you quite sick. Also, it's important to avoid flowers that have not been sprayed with any kind of chemical. Begin eating flowers sparingly by introducing one species at a time. Eating too many can cause digestive problems or aggravate allergies.
Don't go shopping for edible flowers at nurseries, garden centers, or floral shops. In many cases, these flowers have been treated with chemicals. If you want to eat flowers from your garden, make sure they have not been in contact with any pesticides. Your safest bet for purchasing edible flowers is at our farmers' market.
Varieties of edible flowers available at our farmers' market include nasturtiums, calendulas, squash, violas, leek flowers, and borage. When you select flowers to add to dishes, consider how their distinct flavor will pair with other ingredients. And, of course, give some thought on how their color will affect your presentation.
Nasturtiums: Nasturtiums are the most commonly eaten flower. The hues of this flower range from red, yellow, and orange to maroon, and the blossoms of this flower have a sweet, spicy flavor similar in taste to watercress. Every part of this plant is edible but the root.
Nasturtiums add a peppery tang to salads and can be used as a substitute in any recipe that calls for watercress. These blossoms add a unique flavor when combined with butter, cream cheese, or vinegar. The entire flower can be used to garnish platters, salads, cheese tortas, and appetizers. The pickled buds of nasturtiums are a good substitute for capers.
Calendula (also known as marigolds): The flavors of this edible flower range from spicy to bitter, and from tangy to peppery. Its sharp taste resembles saffron. In fact, calendula has been called the poor man's saffron. With golden-orange hues, the petals of calendula flowers add a yellow tint to soups, spreads, and scrambled eggs. Sprinkle them on soups, pasta or rice dishes. Eat them raw in salads or add them to herb butters or cream cheese.
Squash: The flowers from either summer or winter squash are edible. Squash blossoms come in a variety of shades of yellow and orange and have a mild raw squash taste. Squash blossoms can be used as a garnish either whole or slivered. They add flavor and color to salads. The most common way of cooking squash blossoms is to coat them with a light batter and then sauté them. Sometimes cooks stuff them with soft cheese before frying.
Violas: The tender heart-shaped leaves of this flower are excellent in salads. They are also tasty when cooked like spinach. The flowers make a beautiful garnish for desserts, adding an elegant touch to frosted cakes, fruit salads, flan, or sorbets. Freeze violas in ice cube trays and float the cubes in punch. Also, violas are often crystallized. These candied flowers are often used to add an elegant touch to wedding cakes.
Leek flowers: Alliums, including leeks, chives, garlic, and garlic chives, are known as "flowering onions." All members of this genus are edible. Flavors of alliums range from mild to strong. The flowers tend to have stronger flavor than the leaves and the young, developing seed-heads will be even stronger. Leek flowers are wonderful in salads.
Borage: This plant has pretty cornflower blue, star-shaped flowers. The blossoms have a cool, cucumber-like taste. Float borage blossoms in punches. Use borage flowers as a garnish for lemonade, iced summertime drinks, sorbets, chilled soups, or cheese tortas. The leaves of the borage flower can also added to salads, but it's best to chop them finely as their texture is unpleasant. Also, borage leaves make a great flavoring for tea.
Salad Greens with Nasturtiums Blossoms and Fresh Strawberries
Serves 4
For the dressing:
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in oil, whisking until blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
½ head romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
½ heard red leaf lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup arugula leaves, washed and dried
12 nasturtium flowers, washed and patted dry
1 cup strawberries, washed and sliced
Cover 4 plates with salad greens. Drizzle with dressing. Garnish each plate with 3 nasturtium blossoms and ¼ cup strawberries. Serve immediately.
Cleaning edible flowers: It is important to wash flowers before you eat them. Shake each flower gently to remove any insects that may be hiding in the petals. Delicately wash the flowers under a very fine mist of water. You may also clean flowers by placing them in a strainer and immersing them in a large bowl of cool water. Drain them and transfer to paper towels to dry. Carefully blot each petal with a paper towel. If flowers dry quickly, they will retain their natural odor and color. Be carefully not to expose them to direct sunlight. Preparing edible flowers: Using a knife, cut off the stem. Using a pair of tweezers, remove the pistil and stamen. Storing whole flowers: Edible flowers are very fragile. It is best to eat them the day of purchase. When you bring them home, place the stems in a bit of cool water to help keep them fresh. If you place whole flowers in a glass of cool water and then store the glass in the refrigerator, they will keep overnight. Carol Ann Kates is the author of Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, selected as one of the top ten favorite cookbooks by the Denver Post Food Staff. For more information, visit www.cornermarketsecrets.com. |
USDA - It is national farmers market week
August 3 - 9
Farmers markets are an integral part of the urban/farm linkage and have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm. Farmers markets allow consumers to have access to locally grown, farm fresh produce, enables farmers the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with their customers, and cultivate consumer loyalty with the farmers who grows the produce. Direct marketing of farm products through farmers markets continues to be an important sales outlet for agricultural producers nationwide. Today, there are more than 4,300 farmers markets operating throughout the nation.
USDA Proclamation - USDA.gov |
 Longmont Farmers' Market
By Cindy Torres - Longmont Farmers' Market Manager
Changes at the market
Greetings from the Longmont Farmers' Market. We only have 12 more markets this season so don't forget to take advantage of the bountiful seasonal harvests. Corn is everywhere! We welcome Blue Sky Farm back to the Longmont Farmers' Market with their delicious sweet corn.
Customers will notice a little change at the market this Saturday. We are creating 6 additional feet of width to our walkway to make your shopping, walking, and mingling experience more enjoyable. Be sure to take advantage of the extra seating available in our expanded food court at the center of the market. Enjoy tasty treats from Taylor's Tiny's, Silver Canyon Coffee, FfFroneys, and ChiDog while relaxing under a shady tent.
Finding Ourselves in Food
Living in Boulder County has been quite a culture change from where I grew up in Brownsville, TX. The only thing these places have in common are the letters B, O, L, E, R, which for the scrabble enthusiasts spells Roble, and for the dendrology enthusiasts, is an oak tree, more commonly known as Quercus lobata. Until I moved into a grain silo on a farm 5 years ago my life lacked definition and utility. The farm and social justice communities I've befriended helped me find my way and a cause, and most importantly, has helped to shape my identity as a person. Food has the power to foster healthy cultural identities. But left unattended can wreak havok on our health, community and planet.
How we as a global community collectively develop our identity in the world could possibly be the root of racism and oppression. We create social and economic systems that support our finely cultivated identities and their insatiable nature to be immortal. We are destroying our environment to maintain what we have convinced ourselves is necessary and to have anything less would be a failure. What would people think?
There are identities, however, that are molded from relationships with people, nature, faith, food and the humility of mortality. All of these can be found right here in our community, in our backyards and amongst friends. Fostering a culture of food that everyone can enjoy is a good start in developing our local food identity.
cindy@boulderfarmers.org
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Things that caught my eye on the internet.
Barren Spring
Author Claire Hope Cummings dishes the dirt on genetically modified food grist.org Monsanto owns so much of the world's cotton seed supply now that cotton farmers cannot get conventional [non-GM] seed. It is simply not offered. [Editorial note: Cummings later clarified that while non-GMO conventional seeds may be listed in catalogs, farmers are telling her that when they go to buy it, only GMO seeds are available.] Monsanto also tells farmers they can't save seeds, reuse them, or even study them. This is the time-honored heart of agriculture. Seeds have always adapted themselves to a specific place and climate. Now, just when we need more food, more adaptability, and natural diversity, millions of dollars' worth of seeds are being thrown away because of biotech industry contracts.
Hope grows at Boulder's Growing Gardens
coloradodaily.com
"emily" a local food blogger comparing jams at the market:
On Wednesday I headed over to the Boulder Farmers Market to pick up a jar of the peach preserves to taste. Usually I meander around the market, but this day I was on a mission. In - get peach preserves - and out. Well until the Rancho Durazno lady threw me for a loop. I reached for the peach preserves and said "I've heard your peach preserves are the best, I can't wait to try them." Preserve Lady, "Actually the apricot is even better."
blog.foodzie.com
Another local Blogger "ecoyear"
In a heroic attempt to drastically decrease our household's contribution to global warming, without initially altering our daily lives (!), I am embarking on a year-long journey in search of a local foods diet, and in making changes in our daily habits that will add up to a significant reduction in our carbon footprint .
In Surprise Move, EPA Bans Carbofuran Residue on Food
A million pounds of carbofuran are applied each year in the United States, affecting less than 1 percent of the nation's farmed acres, according to the EPA, but it is used more heavily in developing countries on crops including rice, bananas, coffee and sugar cane. The EPA had indicated earlier this year that it would not apply the ban to imported food, but yesterday it said it will. There is no question that carbofuran exacts a toll on wildlife: A 2006 EPA document examining the pesticide's environmental effects found that if a flock of mallard ducks wandered into an alfalfa field within a week after the chemical was applied, 84 percent of the birds would die. The pesticide also kills bees, which have experienced an unexplained massive population collapse in recent years. washingtonpost.com
Bioengineered apples, bananas may be next in line
The U.S. has more than 144 million acres of biotech crops under cultivation, but virtually none of that acreage is represented by crops grown for the fresh produce market. In contrast, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported this year that 80% of the nation's field corn crop and 92% of soybeans were biotech varieties.
The slow development in biotechnology for fresh produce has been rooted in caution about consumer attitudes. The genetically engineered Flavr Savr tomato was unveiled in 1992 but ran aground amid activist resistance, prolonged regulatory reviews and lukewarm market acceptance.
Neal Carter, president of Okanagan Specialty Fruits, said the firm has a couple of field trials ongoing for five varieties of nonbrowning apples. He said it is unknown how long the approval process will take, but it could be perhaps two years. That means a limited amount of trees could be going in the ground by the spring of 2011, perhaps under a permit process. Fruit from those trees wouldn't be expected from those trees for another couple of years.
The company's patented polypheunol oxidase technology is able to halt browning.
On average people in the US consume 5.6 grams of trans fats per day compared with 2.4g in the EU. The main sources are cakes, margarine, cookies, fried foods and snacks. foodnavigator-usa.com
Last week I gave a couple of links to articles regarding HFCS being given the natrual designation by the USDA. I received several comments that I wasn't pointing out the real issues about High Fructose Corn Syrup. Well here read these. nutritionandmetabolism.comdrkaslow.com
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It's that time of year
The heat is baking the streets, the summer looks like it'll never end, and melons have arrived at the market!
This time of the year, the market sees a large variety of melons join the list of juicy fruits offered. Last week, Cantelope, French Melons, Muskmelon, Honeydew, Sweet Tropical Melons, White Flesh Honeydew and Yellow Watermelon were all available for purchase at the Boulder Market. In the coming weeks, we can look forward to seeing Arara Cantaloupe, Early Gold Cantaloupe, Early Queen Cantaloupe, Fast Break Cantaloupe, French Charentais Melons, French Orange Melons, Gailia Cantaloupe, Halona Cantaloupe, Athena Melons, Casaba Melons, Haogen Melons, Krenshaw Melons, Mosque de Prevence Melons, Orange-White Honeydew, Roadside Melons, Rockyford Green Melons, Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Sugar Babies Watermelon, Small Shining Light Watermelon, Jubillee/Rattlesnake Watermelon and Icecream Watermelon.
Colorado ranks 6th nationally in cantaloupe production. In 2006, Colorado produced more than 27 million pounds of cantaloupe valued at $5 million. Cantaloupes are very low in sodium, fat free and are an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.
Sitting down with a melon after dinner would be a great way to enjoy the fresh, ripe and locally grown fruit - especially since you bought the melon at the Boulder County Farmers' Market, you met the farmer who grew the very melon you're biting into!
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Grilled Honey Butter Peaches
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1/2 cup honey 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 Freestone Peaches (halved & pitted) In a small saucepan over med. Heat, combine butter, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Heat until butter is melted. Then dip peach halves in the mixtures. Grill peaches till slightly golden. Remove from grill. Continue to heat butter and honey mixture until think and caramelized. (about 10 minutes) Serve peaches with ice cream, Ricotta cheese or Mascarpone. Then drizzle the honey butter mixture over grilled peaches. Serve after a meal of grilled steaks and a fresh salad. Sent to me by Renton Farmers' Market |
Gary Schakelford and Music at the markets
The musicians at the farmers' markets play for tips and sell their CD's. Some of the better musicians make enough to return. Gary Schakelford has been playing at the market for years and a few years ago I asked Gary to become our music coordinator. In this role he auditions all the musicians we allow to play at the market and books a place and time for them to play. Even though I hear Gary playing twice a week all summer I always want to pick up his CD's to listen to also. Gary's range of music goes way beyond what he plays at the market because as he say's "I play what they want to hear". I picked up Gary's latest CD, Asleep On The Beach, and was truly impressed by the quality of music on this CD. The CD is all original guitar compositions and he is accompanied by Mark Diamond on bass, Geoff Haemer on mandolin and Sandra Wong on violin.
Gary has decided to move on to other farmers' markets in Texas and we will miss him and his music.
Gary will be playing on the street at the Boulder Farmers' Market this week and in the food plaza on August 16th.
Youtube video with Gary playing Youtube.com
I have this message from Gary:
Hi Folks,
I'm leaving for Austin, Texas on August 17th. We're having a going away party Saturday, August 9th at Roger and Nancy Franz's place.
To get there from Boulder take 93 (Broadway) South towards Golden. About 17 miles out of Boulder you will come to the intersection of Colorado 72 just past Rocky Mountain Flats. Turn right (West) and go about one mile and make your first left on to Blue Mountain. Drive until you cross the railroad tracks. Turn left at the 3rd driveway and you're there.
It's pot luck and BYOB.
Bring your musical instruments as there will be all kinds of music going on.
Starts at 5:00PM until we all get tired or thrown out.
303-883-5404 if you get lost.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!! PASS THIS ON TO ANY OF OUR MUTUAL FRIENDS OR ANYONE INTERESTED!!
Gary Shackelford
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WASHINGTON, July 29, 2008 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture today issued an interim final rule for the mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) program that will become effective on Sept. 30.
The rule covers muscle cuts and ground beef (including veal), lamb, chicken, goat, and pork; perishable agricultural commodities (fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables); macadamia nuts; pecans; ginseng; and peanuts -- as required by the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills. USDA implemented the COOL program for fish and shellfish covered commodities in October 2004.
Commodities covered under COOL must be labeled at retail to indicate their country of origin. However, they are excluded from mandatory COOL if they are an ingredient in a processed food item.
USDA has also revised the definition of a processed food item so that items derived from a covered commodity that has undergone a physical or chemical change (e.g., cooking, curing, smoking) or that has been combined with other covered commodities or other substantive food components (e.g., chocolate, breading, tomato sauce) are excluded from COOL labeling.
Food service establishments, such as restaurants, lunchrooms, cafeterias, food stands, bars, lounges, and similar enterprises are exempt from the mandatory country of origin labeling requirements.
The rule outlines the requirements for labeling covered commodities. It reduces the recordkeeping retention requirements for suppliers and centrally-located retail records to one year and removes the requirement to maintain records at the retail store. The law provides for penalties for both suppliers and retailers found in violation of the law of up to $1,000 per violation.
The rule will become effective on Sept. 30, 2008. To allow time for covered commodities that are already in the chain of commerce -- and for which no origin information is known or been provided -- to clear the system, the requirements of this rule will not apply to covered commodities produced or packaged before Sept. 30, 2008.
The rule prescribes specific criteria that must be met for a covered commodity to bear a "United States country of origin" declaration. In addition, the rule also contains provisions for labeling covered commodities of foreign origin, meat products from multiple origins, ground meat products, as well as commingled covered commodities.
USDA plans to conduct education and outreach activities during the six months following the rule's effective date to help the industry comply with the law.
The full text of the interim final rule will be published in the Aug. 1, 2008, Federal Register.
Copies of the interim final rule and additional information can be found at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/COOL . | |
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In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears. Things are not only what they are. They are, in very important respects, what they seem to be. - Hubert H. Humphrey WE ARE: Boulder Farmers' Market 13th street Downtown Boulder
Boulder County Fairgrounds
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Boulder Farmers' Market
is open Saturday
8am to 2pm
Longmont Farmers' Market
is open Saturday
8am to 1pm
Boulder Wednesday
Farmers' Market is open
4pm to 8pm
Market bucks - exchange your Credit and Debit card value for real value - fresh food.
Mark Menagh
Executive Director
Boulder County Farmers' Markets |
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