Cookin' in the 'Cuse

Oh for the want of garlic

It is a sad day when my homegrown and farmers' market garlic is gone.  That day was Friday.  It is ironic, really.  Just as seeds are being sown, garden plots laid out, raised beds installed, my storage garlic withers by the day--shrinking, disappearing, rotting.  Thankfully, a new crop is springing forth here at Dorset Harvest Farm but the reality is that I won't be able to enjoy it for a few months.  So I dream of garlic scapes and I plot my venture to harvest wild ramps.  I tear through jars of last year's tomatoes seeking the bits of garlic and the taste of summer that seem more fitting for our weather of late.  I am oh so grateful to have these food sources to draw upon.

Meanwhile, the rising cost of food is making headlines every day.  People are rioting in various parts of the world because of the increases.  Just so you know (and if you read this blog regularly than I hardly need say it):  when i say that Americans need to pay more for their food, this isn't what I meant.  The price of all foods are rising--wheat, corn, organics across the board.  Blame it on corn and biofuels or blame it on the rising cost of petrol.  Costs are going up but not for the reasons that will make food production healthier for the consumer, more fair for the farmer or more good for the earth. 

Today is Earth Day.  There will be many ways to mark the day and you may have already decided how you will spend the time.  We know, though, that every day is Earth Day.  So here are a few suggestions for learning, growing, and making a difference:

• Plant some seeds.  Even if you don't have a backyard for gardening--a few seeds in a pot can make a difference.  Get a taste of self-sufficiency.
• Clear out the freezer.  Did you forget about the blueberries and strawberries way in the back there?  What about the tomatoes, greens, and broth in the containers at the bottom?  Begin to make room for the harvest to come.
• Keep learning:  Farmer Jamie Edelstein of Wyllie Fox Farm will be speaking at Skaneateles High School on Wednesday Night at 7:00 pm.  The topic:  What is Organic?  Get a taste of what Jamie thinks on this video clip.
• Remember the pleasures of the table.  We know this is a crazy time of year.  Slow down, set the table, and enjoy good conversation with family and friends. 
• Sign up for your CSA Share.  It isn't too late.
• Give thanks for this incredible planet we call home.  Treat it tenderly. 

Food and Memory

So just to make sure I'll be Cookin' in the 'Cuse this spring, I'll be teaching a class on cooking and how food shapes culture, memory and experience through the Lifelong Learning Institute of Syracuse University.  This is the first time I'm offering a class such as this and it should be a fun and enlightening experience for all involved.  You can read the class description below but for more information and to register check out the LLI website here.

110. Food and Memory, with The Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows

Goldstein 201A, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
May 12, 14, 19, 21, 28, 30, June 2, 4

Through cooking demonstrations and storytelling we will explore how our food ways shape our families and community. We will also engage hidden members of the community, such as food pantry guests, to hear their food stories and memories and create a cookbook of recipes and stories to be distributed to hunger relief organizations. The Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows is a chaplain at Syracuse University and rector at Grace Episcopal Church. She writes the food blog Cookin' in the 'Cuse and is an advocate for sustainable food justice, working on issues of hunger and justice for nearly 15 years.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2007 I stood in line to meet the amazing Lidia!

Okay--You gotta see this

Check out this link.  It's a spoof but it makes me think about why we need truth in labeling on our food.

Hat tip to Bob Carlton.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2006 I was analyzing the Supermarket Shelf.

Where Does Syracuse Fit In?

Saturday's Eat Local Potluck was a phenomenal feast of food and conversation.  In addition to attempting to solve the problems of the world related to the Farm Bill, the CNY Regional Market, and increasing the awareness and market for sustainable local foods, we spent some time trying to figure out where Syracuse fits in.

The question was sparked by a note I recently received that two Edible Communities publications are being produced for "upstate New York"--an exciting development in the eat local movement for this part of the world.  One of them is called "Edible Upstate" and the other is "Edible Finger Lakes".  Syracuse is obviously located in Upstate NY but there is the sense that Edible Upstate may concentrate on the eastern end of upstate.  Edible Finger Lakes might include Syracuse but when we think of our local foodshed places like Pulaski (home to Grindstone Farm) and Cato (the west of Baldwinsville location of Wyllie Fox Farm) don't typically get linked to the Finger Lakes.  And yet, our foodshed also includes farms like Monarch and Sundance both located near Skaneateles Lake.  Of course the problem is complicated by differing opinions on which lakes are actually Finger Lakes.  This entry from Wikipedia even counts Cazenovia Lake which may be stretching things a hair but it includes the non-Finger Lake of Onondaga in the Finger Lakes Region. 

So what do you think?  How should the Syracuse foodshed be tagged?  Are we Finger Lakes East or some other designation yet to be named?

By the way, mark your calendars now for the next Eat Local Potluck--Saturday, December 22nd at Stones Throw Farm in Nedrow--which, as was pointed out on Saturday, is just a stone's throw from Otisco Lake.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2005 I was exploring the legacy of our homegrown supermarkets--P&C, Price Chopper and Wegmans.

Alice Waters and Judy Wicks Inspire and Provoke

The Alice Waters and Judy Wicks program last night at Hendricks Chapel offered more food for thought than even this foodie could digest in one sitting.  Their visit has sparked a wave of discussion, creativity, and action that I expect to reverberate in our region for some time to come.  Don Mitchell of SU's Geography Department was a great moderator of the hour and a half-long conversation.  If the purpose of this University Lecture was to inspire and provoke then the evening was a success indeed.

And how could it not be?  Alice Waters and Judy Wicks are both doing quite revolutionary work through their restaurants but in very different ways.  When asked during the conversation and during the Q&A about how we can make concrete changes in our food system Waters was insistent that the way to go was by feeding the children and changing school lunches.  She believes the schools can be the engine for sustainability.  It is never to early to teach people that we digest our values--and once children establish the connection between delicious food and all the things they learn in school they will grow up valuing sustainable food; they will bring it home to their parents.  It is a long-term strategy for change.

Judy Wicks, on the other hand, is about alternative economies and not buying into the systems that works against your values.  She doesn't want a world where we are controlled by multi-national corporations but instead believes that bringing local economic power back into our communities provides an alternative to corporate globalization.  She believes in fair trade, living wages, and knowing not only where your food comes from but knowing who makes your clothes, who built your house--it is all about relationships.

In addition to the rather heavy talk about the consequences of our food choices there was laughter, and memories shared and poignant stories told about how they began in this work.  I think their early years are instructive to us when we think about getting something started here in Central New York.  Alice Waters spoke of her life-changing visit to Provence.  The impact of the markets and the taste of food simply changed her life--she spoke of her first Mesclun salads--and the seeds to grow the lettuces and herbs that she brought back to Berkeley and she compared them to the the dull imitations packaged by Dole. 

Judy Wicks spoke of the starting the White Dog Cafe in the first floor of her house because it provided a way to work and have childcare--and have great food made for her.  She had a longing for the simple food her mother used to cook---she remembered cooking food from the family garden when she was growing up.  She spoke of riding the wave that Alice created and she soon learned that it wasn't enough to have a sustainable restaurant and compete with other places by holding the secrets to great, local farmers.  She realized that real change would come when more and more chefs were sourcing locally and supporting small farmers too and that led to the creation of the White Dog Community Enterprises. 

There was a lot more said last night plus there were conversations held over the pre-lecture dinner and at the breakfast Judy Wicks spoke at today at the YWCA.  Plus there was the post-lecture meeting to connect people to work on a sustainable food network AND the panel this afternoon (on which I spoke) to talk about a just food landscape.  So, for the time being let me leave you with a few choice statements to chew on in the hopes that this very vibrant conversation will continue.  I'll post more about the other events in the days to come.

Judy Wicks:  Poverty is about not being able to provide for yourself and we as a society are poor. 

Alice Waters: (on first steps for Syracuse) Begin right here with the food at Syracuse University.  This is where the conversation is happening.  Start with a good bakery.  Provide food that is good, clean and fair.  Wrap it in a message, connect it with the University, send the bread to different communities.

Judy Wicks:  (on eating local)  When it comes to vegetables, it is more important to eat local than organic; when it comes to meat, it is more important to eat humanely raised than to eat local.

Alice Waters:  Buying from the farmers' market is like making a donation to the greenbelt, its an offering to the environment.

Judy Wicks:  (on political action) We need to collaborate in this counter revolution and just get out into the streets.  But getting people to fall in love with food is a way to change their lives, their voting.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2006 I was astonished by a giant in my garden.

Keeping Track of Recalls

I guess I missed it in my busy-ness but I was a bit shocked to see signs of the latest mixed greens recall in the Dewitt Wegman's.  To read more and get my take on the future of the Eat Local movement, check out my latest post on the Eat Local Challenge blog.

Archive Alert:  On this date in 2005 I was reflecting on the Eat Local journey.

The Farm as Church or the Religion of Eating Local

MY church is a farm. Give me a few chickens, a long row of carrots and the smell of dirt, and I’ll find the open heart and inner peace others might seek from a prayer book or a pew.

So begins an article by Kim Severson in this morning's NY Times.

As an Episcopal priest I thought this article was going n a whole different direction but it turns out, it is a quick and interesting read that explains the motivation of some to eating local.  In fact, the more that is written about our food system or the Farm Bill or organic food the more I hear people struggling to understand the issues.  And if all of the recent writings, politics, and controversies about food is new it can be pretty overwhelming.  It really isn't too different from a new convert trying to understand their new faith but without a regular congregation, pastor, or theological tome to help guide the way.

To help, the NY Times piece in today's paper does cite books by Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver as the bibles of the eat local movement.  And I have to say that each week that I go to the CNY Regional Market and connect with Brian and Megan from Stones Throw Farm or Meg from Wake Robin Farm, it is kind of like going to the church coffee hour.  I get to see friends, I learn a little more about the food I'm eating and the life I'm trying to shape around my food choices, and I experience the strengthening of my community.  I would imagine that this journey would be pretty lonely and difficult if it weren't for the "congregation" that exists at the market, on the internet via blogs, and in my own community.  When I miss the market, or don't make it to the Co-op for several days, I feel as if something is really missing in my week and, for me, it is as much about the people as it is about the food.

In the church world there is a tradition of "bring a friend to church" Sunday.  I'm in the mind of wanting to suggest that as we look forward to this year's Eat Local Challenge that begins next month, that we each befriend an eat local buddy.   It may sound corny but think about it:  we each probably know someone who is struggling their way through the maze of food options all in the hopes of making some small changes that will lead to something more delicious and more healthy on their dinner plate.  We can all raise our hands on that one, can't we?  I'm not thinking of a buddy who would call you up to ask what you ate for dinner last night, but perhaps, someone to meet up with a the market to explore new foods together, or a weekly lunch date where you commit to an eat local meal or a conversation about what you love about local foods, or even a dinner gathering or two to bring together folks to celebrate the local bounty. 

Well, it may be a crazy idea but I know that everything is more fun when you have someone to share the journey.

Archive Alert:   On this date in 2005 I was hyping a couple of eat local dining experiences at bc Restaurant and the Craftsman Restaurant.  Note:  bc Restaurant is doing a 7 course special dinner with beer pairings on August 27th--their taking reservations now.
On this date in 2006 I was trying to figure out how to make the CNY Regional Market work.

Food and Poetry

Ode to a Tomato by Pablo Neruda
Translated by Margaret Sayers Peden

The street
filled with tomatoes
midday,
summer,
light is
halved
like
a
tomato,
its juice
runs
through the streets.
In December,
unabated,

the tomato
invades
the kitchen,
it enters at lunchtime,
takes
its ease
on countertops,
among glasses,
butter dishes,
blue saltcellars.
It sheds
its own light,
benign majesty.
Unfortunately, we must
murder it:
the knife
sinks
into living flesh,
red
viscera,
a cool
sun,
profound,
inexhausible,
populates the salads
of Chile,
happily, it is wed
to the clear onion,
and to celebrate the union
we
pour
oil,
essential
child of the olive,
onto its halved hemispheres,
pepper
adds
its fragrance,
salt, its magnetism;
it is the wedding
of the day,
parsley
hoists
its flag,
potatoes
bubble vigorously,
the aroma
of the roast
knocks
at the door,
it's time!
come on!
and, on
the table, at the midpoint
of summer,

the tomato,
star of earth,
recurrent
and fertile
star,
displays
its convolutions,
its canals,
its remarkable amplitude
and abundance,
no pit,
no husk,
no leaves or thorns,
the tomato offers
its gift
of fiery color
and cool completeness.

It simply doesn't get any better then when my favorite poet and my favorite foods come together.  The tomato crop has been especially abundant this year--more red cherry and sungolds than I can pick and now the first of the plum tomatoes.  They have adorned salads, grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, and have served as dessert, picked straight off the vine.  Soon my mind will turn to slow roasted plum tomatoes and canning some for sauce for the winter.  How are you enjoying this "star of the earth"?

Warning: This is a Rant

Let me begin by saying that today I had a wonderful morning.  I took Chase, my Miniature Dachshund, for a walk in the neighborhood--my broken foot now nearly healed.  Then I had a slice of quiche that I made of local bacon, eggs, flour, butter, cheese, and cream (so you see, that walk was really important).  After that breakfast I set out for Ithaca to see what was up at the farmers' market.

My plan was to bring back some seedlings to augment what I plan to sow in my garden, aka Dorset Harvest Farm.  It was a wonderful trip.  I touched base with farmers, artisans, and winemakers that I hadn't seen over the winter months.  There will be more posts coming about this soon--my intent today was to write about last minute sign ups for CSAs (it isn't too late!) and to talk about the difficulty of keeping a small organic farm aloft in a current industrial agriculture-based economy.

But then I came home and found that the movie, Fast Food Nation, was up on Time Warner cable's pay service.  You know, I never got to see it in the theaters it was gone so fast--now I know why.

This movie made me ill.  I mean, I'm sitting on the couch writing this and my stomach feels awful.  I read Fast Food Nation, the book, nearly five years ago and it changed my life.  I had given up Chicken McNuggets years before when I read something about how the workers were treated.  But after reading Fast Food Nation I reassessed my entire diet in light of the political, immigration, environmental, agricultural, and health implications that I often write about on this blog.  In fact, when folks ask me about when I really began to care about where my food comes from, I tell them that my passion for these issues went into warp speed after reading Eric Schlosser's book. 

Here's what I want to know:  How can anyone in their right mind watch this movie and still crave a Big Mac?  How can anyone watch this movie and not have big questions about their food?  As I drove to Ithaca NPR had a soundbite about the possible contamination of 25 million chickens from wheat gluten feed from China.  What, we don't grow enough wheat in this country for chicken feed?  Oh yeah, this wheat gluten was the same stuff responsible for killing numerous cats and dogs because it was in the pet food.  How in the world can we go on eating the way we do from conventional producers?

Near the end of the Fast Food Nation film is a scene from the kill floor of the beef processing plant.  As much I wanted to I didn't avert my eyes.  But watching it made me wonder if I should go back to being a vegetarian.  But that isn't the answer for me. 

This morning I picked up a couple of oxtails from McDonald Family Farm.  I understand that my choice to eat meat means that I participate in an unpleasant fact of the food chain--animals are killed so that I can enjoy a good meal.  But I have no doubts about the way Peter McDonald raises his animals and I know that they are killed and processed in ways that are as humane as possible.  This is true for any meat producer listed on this blog.  These are about the only conditions under which I can continue to eat meat.  But I want to do a Michael Pollan and see for myself how animals are butchered and processed--that will be a goal this summer.

But beyond that I want to help others understand how messed up our food system is.  Industrial agriculture--conventional AND some USDA organic--continues to offer cheap food and food products that put our health and our planet at risk while small family farms fight for survival.  This is crazy. 

Fast Food Nation the movie was never going to make it big.  Films that tell too many harsh truths rarely do.  And it is unfortunate because a film like this would not only change minds but it would change hearts.  And then we might get somewhere. 

Market Saturation

I was fascinated by two news stories that came out this week related to natural groceery stores.  The first was the announcement that Whole Foods is buying its smaller competitor Wild Oats.  (reg.req. Member ID:  Cookin; Password:  intheCuse)  This is not the first instance of Whole Foods gobbling up other stores, can we say Bread and Circus?  But as Whole Foods continues to expand and wrestles with slowed (stock) market expectations, this expansion seems like their most logical course. 

When I lived in Morristown, NJ I remember being thrilled when a Wild Oats store opened in Madison--the next town over.  But the store didn't work for me.  Things were constantly being rearranged and items were hard to find in stock on a regular basis.  So I took to driving thirty minutes in a different direction to shop at Whole Foods in Montclair or Millburn.  It really was worth the drive because Whole Foods was offering not just a better shopping experience but consistent stock.  The same is true for my experience of the Wild Oats in Berkeley--I'd practically drive right by it to get to Whole Foods (well, I really passed it to get to the Berkeley Bowl where I did most of our shopping that filled out our CSA and farmers' market purchases). 

Well it will be interesting to see what impact this has on the natural foods grocery business.  Whole Foods will need to answer the question of whether bigger really is better.  With this buyout, Whole Foods will increase to just over 300 stores nationally.

Speaking of Berkeley...I was interested to hear of the flack a group of folks are getting in their efforts to start a food co-op there.  Again, I was always fascinated by the fact that despite all of the progressive food politics to be found there, Berkeley had no food co-op.  The last one had closed shop decades before I lived there in the mid 1990s and early 2000s.   So a number of former Brooklynites who used to belong to the 12,000 member strong Park Slope Food Co-op want to set up a similiar shop to make good, sustainable food accessible and affordable to everyone. 

But naysayers argue that the market is saturated and cite the existence of Whole Foods, Wild Oats, the Berkeley Bowl, Monterey Market, three Farmers' Markets, Berkeley Natural Grocery and several Andronicos (an upscale supermarket) in addition to Safeways and a nearby Trader Joe's as a sign that there isn't any more room.  But The Cooperative Grcoery, aka The CoG, with several hundred members on board already wants to be an alternative. 

I was able to visit the Park Slope Food Co-op a few months ago with a friend who is a member (the only way you can get in the store is to be a member or be accompanied by one) and I was astounded at how low many of the prices were.  Every member of the Park Slope Co-op must work a shift so their set up is very different from our own Syracuse Real Food Co-op and, indeed, most other co-ops nationally.   But like other co-ops, The CoG isn't interested in being just a grocery store--they're interested in being a community.  And that, as members of co-ops know, is a big difference.

While presenting a lower priced alternative to healthy food is always a good thing, many say that the money to start a new store would be better put to use to fund the People's Grocery in West Oakland--a neighborhood where groceries can be purchased in liquor stores and fresh produce is hard to find.  It will be interesting to see if The CoG's efforts come together or not.  I've always suspected that there was a reason there were no food co-ops in Berkeley but couldn't figure out what it was.

As I've said before, when we moved from Berkeley/Oakland to Syracuse our food bill grew greatly.  Though we could never own a house in the Bay Area (not without a miracle donation of some kind, anyway) we could certainly afford to eat very well.  So if The CoG is going to work they may want to push the community over affordability angle.

Meanwhile...back here in Syracuse, we have wholly different market issues.  I realize we are a much smaller city/metropolitan area/region than Berkeley but c'mon, I can't be the only person who wants the following:

• A larger Syracuse Real Food Co-op
• a Finger Lakes Wine Tasting Room in Armory Square
• an artisanal bakery/cafe near the Syracuse University campus
• a gourmet cheese shop featuring local and regional cheeses as well as imports
• an organic farmers' market in the Westcott neighborhood

Now, what will it take to make it happen?