The Whole Food Journal

Frank Wallis serves on the Steering Committee for the WyoAg Coalition, and he’s not a happy man. He recently wrote an article about government regulation of food as it applies to him and those like him. He raises natural grass fed beef, free range chickens and grows vegetables and fruits without chemicals and artificial fertilizers. He does not use antibiotics or growth stimulants on his livestock. He has a website where he markets to consumers who seek to purchase meat, eggs and produce from what he calls a “non-industrial, humane production system”. His goal is to produce superior and clean food, and the freedom to bring it to the marketplace without what he believes to be undue government interference.

This interference he talks about is his being required to drive a total of 665 miles ( two roundtrips) to South Dakota for USDA inspection and processing of his beef product for eventual sale at farmers markets. By contrast he can sell a live animal to a local customer who can have the local wild game processor kill the animal right on the ranch. Then the processor can haul the animal to town and cut it up for the customer. His question is “What makes the beef hauled to South Dakota safer than beef harvested at his ranch?” It’s certainly food for thought.

What I found most interesting in Frank’s article were his references to seemingly conficting points of view from those who are supposed to have our best interests at heart. Apparently Frank is free to sell his raw produce, but if he “processes” the apples into a pie, he is forbidden to sell the pie at the local farmer’s market. Yet, the same pie can be sold by a church, as in fundraiser.

Here’s another one. Frank writes, “You can go shoot a deer on a 70-degree day in November, drag it through the dirt and cactus for two hours, throw it on the hood of the pickup and drive in the hot sun to the local meat processor.” Then he states that one can give this meat to their neighbors and the local soup kitchen. But he cannot take his beef to the same butcher and sell it to the neighbor. He does not believe this is a matter of food safety at all.

Frank talks about how the mega food production system gets the food nicely packaged to the store shelf. He asks if it’s “safer” to eat chicken raised with sunshine, grasshoppers, good grass and clean water? Or should we be satisfied with chickens never seeing the light of day, living their entire lives in a space one-half foot square while being fed antibiotics to keep them from dying (and clipping their beaks as well). You be the judge.

And here’s a final thought from Frank, “The one-thousand people who die from salmonella each year are buying their meat via the government inspected mega-plants. No one is being harmed by backyard producers and small ranchers.” Can anyone say power and control? For more information go to www.WyoAgCoalition.org.

Are you a “news freak”?  I am.  I need to know what’s going on around the world every day.  I do know  people who could care less, and that sometimes concerns me.  But I digress here.

This morning as I was checking the goings-on (including the Wall Street mess) the ticker racing across the bottom of the television screen announced that Engand’s Cadbury candy company has learned that their candies made in China contain that substance known as melamine.

We all remember the pet food scare, and I’m sure we will never know how many pets really did die because their food contained melamine.  Matter of fact, it was at that time I learned my kitty’s high-priced food wasn’t even made in the USA.  I changed brands.  Then we learned about the baby formula in China, and today it’s candy.  I’m wondering what is next.

I decided to study up a bit about melamine, and I have to tell you it’s a little scary.  You will find melamine in flame retardants, inks, plastics, fertilizers, fabrics and glues just to name a few.  Apparently, melamine alone has no significant toxic effects.  The problem is when melamine is combined with cyanuric acid.  This combination forms melamine cyanurate which causes kidney stones, kidney failure and even cancer.

Here’s why melamine is being added to food.  When food is tested for protein content, the nitrogen levels are tested as well.  Melamine raises the nitrogen levels of foods, leaving the testers to believe the protein levels are higher than they really are.  This allows the food manufacturer to place cheap fillers in the food.  In the case of the milk formula, the addition of melamine diluted the amount of milk necessary to get the high protein reading.  It seems it’s all about money.  Fortunately there are very strict regulations and better testing equipment in our country.

Each day it seems more apparent that we as consumers need more information about our food and we definitely need to be aware and on guard.  I wonder what the next food to be contaminated with melamine will be, and when.  Growing my own food and buying organic food looks better all the time. 

When I talk with you about healthy food and gardening I sometimes find myself trying to put you in a convenient “box” called a niche or target market.  That really appears impossible, given that healthy food is so important.  People who care about their food, and who even grow their own food to maintain it’s purity are not a small group.  Though we all focus on a few fundamental truths, where we come from is a different deal.  Some are rich and some are poor.  Most of us are somewhere in the middle.  Some live in the middle of metropolitan  masses and some are so removed from humanity as to be  nearly impossible to find.  Most of us, though, are somewhere in the middle, in small town America or small cities and communites.

I find it so interesting that the subject of health, and especially as it relates to food, brings such a diverse group of people to the same page.  About a year ago I was messing around with paper and pencil and the following is the result.  It is something to ponder when we wonder if others share our interests.  Apparently they do.  Common interest is indeed a good thing.

WE ARE ALL THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE
WHO SHARE ONE COMMON INTEREST-
ACHIEVING AND MAINTAINING BETTER HEALTH NATURALLY
WITH INTELLIGENT AND SUSTAINABLE DIETARY CHOICES.
THAT INCLUDES THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO GROW
AT LEAST SOME OF THEIR OWN FOOD.

Not too long ago I read somewhere that during this past year the sale of garden seeds did skyrocket.  The cause, they said, was the high cost of gasoline.  So, backyard gardening was seen as one way to save money on food the food budget.  The savings could then be applied to the gas tank.  To those who have done just that, you are now one step ahead of the “game”. 

In the coming growing season, your garden is going to become more important than ever.  And, I predict there will be thousands of “newbie” gardeners getting down in the dirt.  The current economics of our country are soon going to demand that citizens take action to offset what’s going on in our nation’s capitol at this moment.  The cost of food is now, and will be, a top priority.  One of the best ways to cut the cost of food is to grow at least some of your own.  Actually, for generations before us, growing one’s own food was a no-brainer.  It was a way of life!

I feel lucky.  I already have a small garden that produces what I need.  Many begin new backyard gardens each and every year.  And alot more are going to be thinking about it now.  Gardening is one area where “schooling” is ongoing. New and “seasoned” gardeners are forever looking for new information and constantly learning.  I am looking forward to making loads of information (for busy people) available, and here’s how I’m going to do it.

In the coming weeks and months you will find on two of our sister-sites, www.gardenbasics.com and www.organicgardencorner.com a wealth of information about growing at least some of your own food with success.  Whether you have yet to turn the first shovel of soil, or are a veteran gardener, you will want to take a good look.  Whether you live where gardens will soon sleep for the winter, or whether you live where gardens grow year-round (lucky you), this will be the perfect time to plan and organize.  Mother nature has a lot to do with how your garden will grow, but gardening success also depends on knowing what you are doing.  We can help.

Other than cutting food costs, there are so many other benefits to gardening.  You have control of the quality of your food….the freshness, the taste, the nutritional value.  You have the pleasure of seeing nature at work.  Your children can happily learn where food really comes from.  You can exercise muscles you didn’t even know you had, and breathe fresh air.  You can avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  You can take pride in what you have done by sharing some of your excess produce and also preserving some of that excess for winter use.  I just can’t find a downside to backyard gardening.

So, as I mentioned above, keep checking our two gardening sites for all you need to know to eat deliciously and have some extra dollars as well.  Something tells me we are all going to need them.

Every summer it seems like everyone in the world grows zucchini squash and can’t figure out what to do with the excess of this super producer.  In small town America where I live at least one gardener leaves bags of the vegetable at the post office for anyone that wants them.  Some people dislike zucchini (and squash by any other name) so much you can’t force them to take your extras.  While all this is going on both zucchini and yellow squash are available in the produce department for more than a buck-fifty a pound.  Go figure.

I grow zucchini and old fashioned yellow crookneck squash every summer.  There are several reasons why.  First, it’s got to be one of the easiest vegetables to grow.  Secondly, the giant plants produce so rapidly it can make you think you are your own master gardener.  And, the real reason I grow both the yellow and green squash is that when picked very young they make the very best stir-fry ingredients ever.  Any good cookbook will have recipes for using more mature squash in everything from baked goods to soups.

Finally, I let a few big ones just grow and grow and grow.  Then I save their seeds (you will NEVER need all of them, but I save them anyway) to do it all over again next season.  Speaking of seeds, you can dry them in your oven with your favorite seasoning and have a high-fiber, nutritious snack anytime.  Because I like to dehydrate foods, and the nutrient level is highest near the outer wall, I remove most of the inside and cut the remaining peel in chunks, then dehydrate.  During the winter they are a colorful and nutritious addition to most any soup or stew.

So, how did zucchini squash survive all these hundreds of years as one of the most popular vegetables to grow?  Historians note that early Italians considered zucchini and yellow crookneck squash to be a “cure” for liver ailments because of it’s natural, organic sodium levels.  Could that be why steamed or stir-fried green and yellow squash is SO good with pasta, not to mention Asian food?  

How much squash to grow in your garden is your choice.  Just be sure you remember these are large and sprawling plants.  A border area works fine for me.  Most likely for the average backyard garden one or two plants of each will be plenty.  I do plant two, just in case one doesn’t make it.  As for nutrition, all vegetables from your garden are loaded with vitamins and minerals.  You can’t go wrong with zucchini or yellow crookneck squash because it is one of the most versatile of all the vegetable kingdom.  You will be surprised how often you can add squash to whatever it is you’re cooking.  And, in the fall you can use the mature fruits for stunning autumn decorations right along with the pumpkins and goblins.  Then recycle them into your compost pile.  Now, doesn’t that make you love all squashes? 

Here is a list of ingredients that are additives known as monosodium glutamate (MSG) or free glutamates that may be in your food without listing the words “monosodium glutamate” or “free glutamate” in the ingredients.  You could be consuming these additives in any foods that list any of the following as ingredients.

enzyme modified
anything fermented
anything that is protein fortified
anything that is ultra pasteurized
autolyzed yeast
barley malt
broth
bouillon
calcium caseinate
carrageen
flavoring
natural flavoring
gelatin
hydrolyzed oat flour
hydrhydrolyzed vegetable
olyzed protein
malt extract
maltodextrin, natural flavors
pectin
plant protein extract
potassium glutamate
sodium caseinate
soy protein
soy sauce
stock
textured protein
whey protein
yeast extract
yeast food

The FDA says labels must identify MSG.  However, if glutamate comes from any other source the manufacturer is not required to label the product as containing MSG.  It’s a pretty grey area to be sure.

There is more information about MSG at www.healthycookingjournal.com and also www.selfreliancetoday.com.  explains just what MSG is in depth.  Check them out.  The more you know the healthier your food will be.

What an absolutely gorgeous garden vegetable the Black Krim Tomato is.  To my surprise early this spring I found these heirloom tomato plants at my local greenhouse and bought a couple without thinking twice.  I have not been disappointed.  Matter of fact, I have already saved a fair amount of seed for next year.

Black Krim heirloom tomatoes are apparently tough enough to withstand unruly weather and a fair amount of neglect and still produce beautiful mahogany colored deep red fruits with deep green shoulders on top.  This year in my little garden they had to withstand both conditions and I still received the most unique and tasty tomatoes that were 3″ to 4″ in size.  They are indeed beefsteak slicers, each slice displaying almost black flesh and loads of greenish seeds.

As for taste, it was love at first bite!  The naturally slightly salty taste is more than just delicious.  It’s a real deal for people on low salt diets, for there is no reason to add the dreaded salt.  I have eaten many different kinds of tomatoes in my life and there is no doubt in my mind that the Black Krim tomatoes is my all time favorite.  Can you just imagine piles of these beautiful heirloom tomatoes piled high in the produce section?  Since they are heavy yielders that produce in about 75 days without much special attention, maybe we’ll see them more often.  Hope so.

Black Krim heirloom tomatoes originally came from the “Isle of Krim” located on the Black Sea in the former Soviet Union.  No wonder they are strong plants, able to withstand wide temperature ranges.  This place is better known as the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine.  Crimea is known in ukrainian as Krim.  Match tomato color group with place and you have the Black Krim Heirloom tomato….delicious like no other.

Imagine my surprise!  I was skimming through the most recent edition of my AAA magazine (Kansas edition) and there it was.  An article singing the praises of Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Company located in Hays, Kansas.  It got better.  Not only is Gella’s diner located in a beautifully renovated historic downtown building, they use as much local produce as possible!!  Dare we ask for more?

Writer Richelle Tremaine noted the establishment’s distinctive blend between the past and the present because “the word Gella is a traditional German slang term for ‘yes’, and the brewery’s title, Lb, is short for liquid bread — as bread and beer have common ingredients”.  The microbrewery is a silver award winner in the Great American Beer Festival.

Now, tons of people know where Hays, Kansas is.  They pass through this Volga-German community constantly on their way to dozens and dozens of destinations east and west on Interstate 70.  Now that they know about Gella’s, they really should stop and check this place out!  Not too long ago I discovered a healthier place to eat, traveling or not, in Local Burger, located in Lawrence, Kansas.  To my delight, Gella’s is another quite unforgettable diner and watering hole.

Yes, they’ve got things like chicken-fried chicken on the menu and I’m a little scared of that.  But I was totally impressed by entrees right out of the DeBakey Institute’s Heart Healthy recipe book.  Things like grilled Pacific salmon served with steamed veggies and new red potatoes.  I wouldn’t hesitate to order the grilled pesto chicken breast.

I’m totally impressed with the fact that while they do offer regional cuisine, they also focus on local food including locally grown beef and produce.  The place is wildly popular in this college town (Fort Hays State University) and I have eaten there, enjoying the unique decor and live music as well.

Now, here’s the best part.  I will be dining at Gella’s again very soon. Early in October my Hays High School graduating class will be celebrating our 50th class reunion (OK, so now you know how old I really am…but who cares…..).  On Friday night after the homecoming football game we will again converge on Gella’s diner.  The food and beverages will be outstanding, just as I remember.  The music will be loud and the celebration with friends from near and far will go on well into the night.  I can hardly wait.

So, if and when you are in the vicinity of this historic, yet progressive place of cuisine and special brews, do take a break and enjoy.  The more we all patronize those who are actively supporting local food and local growers, the more we will have to choose from.  Gella’s website is www.Lbbrewing.com.  Check them out.

To the people of Gella’s who bring us better, healthier food because they WANT to, we salute you!

Tonight for dinner I fixed another one of my favorite salads.  Don’t be sad……..I’m going to share it with you right here, right now.  Enjoy with fish, chicken, or even pasta, and a good hunk of whole wheat bread.  Easy, delicious and highly nutritious……..bon appetit!

SIMPLE TOMATO AND CUCUMBER SALAD WITH HERBS

THE INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb. firm red tomatoes, cut in chunks
1/2 lb. yellow tomatoes,cut in chunks
1/2 lb. cucumbers, cut in chunks
1/2 green pepper, cut in thin strips
1/2 red pepper, cut in thin strips
1 T each of finely chopped fresh herbs including
      basil, oregano, parsley and chives
1 t. salt
2 T extra virgin olive oil

THE DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and chill at least
one hour. Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve on lettuce or spinach leaves.

This recipe serves four.

Well, everyone is getting excited about something new to generations younger than me.  And it’s SO exciting.  It’s called Victory Gardening.  Seems it’s just the ticket to deal with rising food prices, and it is.  But it’s not new. There is quite a long and interesing history behind the victory garden concept.  The practice also has a number of different names, depending on when and why people took action to secure their food supply.

Victory gardens have also been know as war gardens, survival gardens, depression-era gardens, security gardens and self-sufficiency gardens.  Not too long ago this type of home based self-reliance even included something called the Y2K garden.  I admit to having one of these, and a lot of other preparedness stuff that we just won’t go into here.

Back to victory gardening’s history.  During World War I, food shortages were common throughout Europe.  Then in 1916 came worldwide crop failures and food surpluses in the United States were wiped out.  Food prices soared and food rationing was necessary, not just for civilians, but our troops as well. To combat this problem a few visionaries imagined backyards and vacant city lots turned into gardens  They set about educating the public and promoting “city farming”.  In 1917 the National War Garden Commission was organized and “war gardens” became a huge movement as our nation’s people responded.  Food preservation and canning were also promoted.

In 1941 our nations food supply again became a huge concern.  The question of how to feed not only our own population, but our troops and our allies as well prompted then Secretary of Agriculture Claude Wickard to launch the National  Victory Garden Program.  Three V’s stood for Vegetables, Vitality and Victory.  So during World War II, a time of great patriotism and honor, Americans again rallied together and helped contribute to the war effort by planting some 15 million gardens in rural areas as well as in cities.

Now there is another movement underway.  In the face of high energy prices, an uneasy economy, the potential for food shortages as we speak and steadily rising food costs, the victory garden concept has sparked a great deal of interest as a viable solution to potential problems ahead.  I couldn’t agree more!

Look for an explosion of new gardeners next season.  And what will they be growing?  Everything from A-to-Z.  For sure there will be tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, onions, carrots. beans, potatoes, corn, lettuce, cabbage, melons, pumpkins.  Are you hungry yet?   This is just the beginning.  I predict there will be a second “explosion”…….and that would be the preservation of the food harvest.  Personal food security will also reflect our concerns with the quality and safety of our current food supply.  Dare I say this is what self-reliance is all about……..and that we just haven’t had to think about it for quite some time now?

To some Victory Gardening is, and always has been, their way of life.  Called by any other name, there are thousands and thousands of people who garden for a multitude of reasons from their security and health,  their sustainable footprint on the planet and just for the pleasure of it all.  It’s all good!

Think about planting your own little victory garden next season.  It doesn’t have to be big…..or beautiful for that matter.  But then I think all gardens (like babies) are beautiful.  Mine’s SO full of weeds it’s almost embarrasing.  But my tomatoes….they are fit for a king!!