The Week in Locavoria - Sept. 7, 2009
Jill Richardson from La Vida Locavore was in town for a reading of her new book, Recipe for America. We met at FxMcRory's, where they served a special selection of veggie noshes and a wonderful pineapple drink made with lemon liqueur. Jill surprised me in a couple ways. She's really young, and she is quite the policy wonk. She seemed to know everything that's going on and everyone's name. Her book is slim and readable and you should definitely buy it.
Slow Foods USA has designated Labor Day as the "National Day of Action to get Real Food in Schools". Be sure to visit their site and sign the petition. Ecotrust is also working hard to get good foods and nutritional education in our public schools.
The end of summer means a bounty of foods. Gardens are bursting with vegetables and trees are laden with ripe fruit. Unfortunately, a lot of this goes to waste, especially in urban areas. Literally tons of pears, apples, and other fruits rot on the ground simply for lack of the infrastructure to collect, distribute, and preserve unwanted produce. This year a couple of web sites are trying a new approach to getting that produce into the hands of people who want it. City Fruit and Neighborhood Fruit both provide mapping tools that let you register a tree that's available for harvest, and another site, Veggie Trader, helps you sell or barter your garden's surplus. If you see good food going to waste in your neighborhood, why not use one of these sites, and make a difference!
Some disturbing video has been secreted out of a chicken hatchery showing how male chicks are euthanized in a grinder - some 220 million of them a year. This has made me think about my egg habit, and how or whether I can get eggs that are crueltry free. I've long been aghast at the prices of eggs at the farmer's markets but last spring I visited a CSA and they explained that their break even price is over $5 a dozen, but I can attest first hand the chickens have an idyllic if brief life, and you know you're getting a healthy organic egg. Urban chickens are also an increasingly available option.
Urban Polyculture is taking off in a big way. In Miami, the GROW coalition is creating a productive green space in an abandoned railway corridor, while in Brooklyn there's a new 6,000 square foot organic garden. Rooftop gardens and community gardens are also springing up all over. Maybe the most inspiring story is from Detroit, where a grocery truck now travels the streets of a city that's been called a "grocery desert", where liquor stores outnumber grocery stores by 26:1.
Recipe of the Week - Pesto Pasta
A long time ago I worked at a pizza place that served this wonderful shaped pasta salad in a creamy pesto sauce. I finally figured out the recipe and can tell you it's a sure party hit, and gratifying to make with home-grown basil!
for the pasta
1 lb shaped rotini, fusilli, farfalle, or penne pasta
1 lb frozen peas
14 oz marinated artichoke hearts, diced
for the sauce
2-3 cups fresh basil, lightly packed
scant 2 cups cream
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup parmigiano or parmigiano / asiago mix
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
scant cup olive oil
for the garnish
1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
coarse sea salt
fresh ground pepper
To make the sauce, add the basil, pinenuts, cheese, salt, lime and garlic to a food processor and blend while streaming in the olive oil. Add just enough oil so that it's blending smoothly (not clumping). Next, alternately add the pesto and cream to a medium sized bowl in 1/4 cup increments and whisk. You'll need about 2 cups of a nice medium consistency dressing. Keep any left over pesto in the refrigerator wrapped tight and topped with a few drops of lime.
In a large dutch oven bring a gallon of water and a tablespoon of salt to a rolling boil. Add the pasta, return to a boil and cook for 12 minutes or according to directions, until soft. Add the frozen peas and stir for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse several times in cold water. This will give you a well cooked pasta and al dente peas. Add the artichoke and sauce, mix well and refrigerate for about an hour.
When ready to serve, garnish with tomatoes, sea salt and coarse ground pepper.
Posted by LocaVori on September 7, 2009 at 12:34 p.m..
1 comment so far
On September 7, 2009, Pat said:
I will definitely try the pasta dish. I'll also take a look at Recipe for American if I can find it.
