Roasted Beets

Beets are fairly new vegetables for me. I certainly didn't grow up eating them and I have only recently grown to really appreciate their earthy, sweet flavor.

I had yet to cook them myself until this week when I purchased a bundle of beets and used the following recipe to roast them. They came out great and I initially enjoyed them on a bed of lettuce, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. They continued to be a great side dish to many other weekly meals.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the top and stems off the beets.

2. Place beets in a small baking dish and add 1/4 inch water (or you could use orange juice for more flavor).

3. Cover dish with foil and roast for 35-50 minutes, or until the beets are tender (like a baked potato).

4. Cool slightly. Working quickly and using your fingers, peel off the skin and discard.

5. Slice into wedges or chunks.

Penny-pinching

One out of every three dollars we spend on health care, by some recent estimates, is paying for the damage of bad eating habits.

The perception of organic food as an elite privilege is a considerable obstacle to the farmer growing food for middle-income customers whose highest food-shopping priority is the lowest price. Raising food without polluting the field or the product will always cost more than the conventional mode that pushes costs to taxpayers and the future.

At any income level, we can be relied upon for categorically unnecessary purchases. And grocery money is an odd sticking point for U.S. citizens, who on average spend a lower proportion of our income on food than people in any other country, or any in history. It's interesting that penny-pinching is an accepted defense for toxic food habits, when frugality so rarely runs other consumer domains.

Chapter 8: Growing Trust

Did you know...?

The U.S. nutritional assistance program for women with infants and children (WIC) gives coupons redeemable at farmers' markets to more than 2.5 million participants in 45 states.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/

The Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) awards grants to 40 states and numerous Indian tribal governments to help low-income seniors buy locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/seniorfmnp/sfmnpmenu.htm

The Small Farms/School Meals Initiative connects small farms to school meal programs by encouraging small farmers to sell fresh fruits and vegetables to schools and schools to buy produce from local, small farmers.

http://www.farmtoschool.org/

Charmed Scones

I must seize this opportunity and give a shout out to Charmed Scones, a bakery vendor at the Los Feliz Farmers Market each Sunday. It has always been difficult for me to pass up a bakery but if there are vegan baked goods there, it becomes impossible not to support. Charmed Scones sells a wide variety of scone flavors and now they have added some vegan and gluten-free varieties. I ate the vegan Pineapple Right-Side-Up scone this morning. Awesome!!

Please visit the Los Feliz Farmers Market and support this Mother-Daughter baking team.

http://www.charmedscones.com/

Red Cabbage Slaw

from the Food Network

I loved this slaw. I was looking for one that wasn't mayonnaise-based and this was perfect. I have been eating it all week long and vow to never go to another barbecue without it. Oh, and it's so pretty. Enjoy!

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons celery seed

Salt and pepper

1/2 head red cabbage, shredded

2 small carrots, grated

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup golden raisins

1. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and sugar until dissolved.

2. Slowly whisk in oil, celery seed, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Toss in cabbage, carrots, onion and raisins to coat well.

4. Cover and let sit at least 1 hour.

Why Does Asparagus Make Urine Smell?

As lots of you have probably noticed, urine develops a funny smell after eating all of this delicious, seasonal asparagus. And some of you probably did not notice. Why, you ask?

Asparagus contains both the sulfur-containing compound methyl mercaptan and the amino acid asparagine. The breakdown of both of these compounds in the digestive track is responsible for urine's strange smell. The fascinating part to this urine-asparagus phenomenon is that not everyone has smelly urine shortly after eating asparagus, even though many do, and there is a segment of the population who cannot smell the sulphurous fumes of asparagus-laced urine even if their bodies produce it. Only those with a certain gene break down the chemicals inside asparagus into their smelly components, and only those with the proper gene can smell the results of the chemical breakdown.

There you have it. Which camp do you belong to?

Square One Dining

The other weekend my dad and I visited Square One Dining in Los Angeles. We loaded up on a big breakfast full of lots of fresh, local ingredients. I love this restaurant. Great food. Supporting community. Did I mention great food?

http://www.squareonedining.com/about.php

I've eaten both breakfast and lunch dishes at Square One and I give them both two thumbs up. I've also heard their baked egg dishes are delicious.

Please give your business to this wonderful east side restaurant.