The Easiest Peppermint Marshmallows

On cold winter days, I enjoy making homemade marshmallows and enjoying them on top of a cup of warm cocoa. I thought you might enjoy my recipe for Peppermint Marshmallows:

The Easiest Peppermint Marshmallows

2 packages Knox gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup boiling water
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
2 teaspoons peppermint oil
¼ cup It’s a Grind’s Peppermint syrup
Powdered sugar

In mixing bowl, bloom gelatin into cold water. In a saucepan bring the remaining water to a boil and add sugar and peppermint syrup. Stir until dissolved (about a minute) and boil until firm ball stage, about 245-250 degrees.

Pour 1/3 of the sugar mixture into the gelatin and stir with a High Temperature spatula for 5 seconds then add the rest of the sugar mixture, stirring the entire time. Start mixing on medium and then move up to medium high. When mixture changes color (about 4-5 minutes), add vanilla, peppermint oil and salt; continue mixing until doubled in volume and white and fluffy. It should start to slightly pull away from the edges.

Line 9x13 pan with deep layer of powdered sugar. Pour into pan. Sift a generous amount of additional powdered sugar over the top of the mixture in the pan.

Cool until set about 1-2 hours at least (longer on humid day). Run a small knife around the inside edges of the pan. Invert the pan onto the prepared cutting board. The mixture may still be a little sticky and need coaxing out of the pan.

Sift more powdered sugar over the marshmallows once it has been unmolded. Cut into squares and roll in powdered sugar to coat cut sides. Store excess in large airtight freezer bags. Yield 40 squares (or 20 BIG ONES!!)

How Many Sweet Potatoes Can One Family Eat?

            Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution where a community of individuals pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs usually consist of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme, sometimes includes dairy products and meat.

The American concept of CSAs came from the philosophies articulated in the 1920s by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), and then actively cultivated in post-WW II Europe in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.[1] The ideas crossed the Atlantic and came to life in a new form, CSA, simultaneously but independently in 1986 at both Indian Line Farm in Massachusetts and Temple-Wilton Community Farm in New Hampshire. The two original CSA farms are still thriving today.

Since that time community supported farms have been organized throughout North America — mainly in the Northeast, the Pacific coast, the Upper-Midwest and Canada. North America now has at least 13,000 CSA farms of which 12,549 are in the US according to the US Department of Agriculture in 2007.[2] Some examples of larger and well established CSAs in the US are Angelic Organics and Roxbury Farm. The largest subscription CSA with over 13,000 families is Farm Fresh To You in Capay Valley, California.[3]

Bobbi Sheahan and her husband have four children, the oldest being 8 years old, living in Plano, Texas.[4]  Bobbi decided to join a CSA because she and one of her daughters are vegetarians, and she wanted to provide healthier meals for her family.  She searched for a source for fresh, seasonal produce when possible, preferably local and organic. She has been a member of two different CSAs. 

One, a small, local farm in the Dallas, Texas area, has a weekly drop-off in the Dallas area for $25/week year round, but some weeks they take off.  A friend referred her to this CSA.  “In the fall, there are only so many squash and sweet potatoes that a family can eat,” says Sheahan. “We were overwhelmed with squash and sweet potatoes and didn’t want anymore!”

The second CSA, Urban Acres, is a larger cooperative that serves as a middleman for local produce, but also has a retail store.  Urban Acres provides two size options, $30 every other week for a small bin, and $50 for the larger bin, plus an annual membership fee. The pick up for Urban Acres occurs at a local gym in the Dallas area and the produce is provided year round.

The most annoying problem with being a member of a CSA, according to Sheahan, is having to pick up the box at an inconvenient location.  She suspended her membership in Urban Acres because the pick up location was a 20-minute drive from her house on busy Saturday mornings with children’s activities. When they establish a pick up location nearer to her house, she will resume her membership.

The small local farm pick up is at a friend’s house, which is more convenient but still an imposition for her.  Inconsistency and lack of flexibility in the time the box is available for pick up can also present a challenge.  “The farmer may have a thousand things to do for that day and not get to town at exactly the time promised,” according to Sheahan.  “So, sometimes we have to wait around or rearrange the schedule.”  But, the box must still be picked up within a small window of time when it becomes available.

Sheahan says it does not necessarily save her money compared to the grocery store.  “Last fall, we ended up giving away a lot of potatoes because we just couldn’t eat them all.” Overall the larger CSA box does provides all of the produce her family will need over the time period without having to supplement from the grocery store.  However, the smaller farm’s box does not provide enough produce for her entire family, but they do offer eggs, meat, and milk in addition to the produce.

In spite of the challenges, she enjoys being a member of the CSAs because she enjoys the fresh produce and feels good about supporting “a local farmer who isn’t controlled by big companies like Monsanto.”  Another benefit of the CSA is that it forces her to prepare and try a new vegetable, like radish greens, that she might not otherwise try.

The best CSA that Sheahan belonged to was in California, where the farm delivered to her door with a bin she left outside.  “That was heavenly – the perfect form of CSA.”

---

[1]  McFadden, S. The History of Community Supported Farms, Community Farms in the 21st Century: Poised for Another Wave of Growth? Rodale Institute. http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/features/0104/csa-history/part1.shtml (February 2, 2011).

[2] National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2007 Census of Agricultural State Data, Table 44. USDA.   http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/st99_2_044_044.pdf (February 2, 2011).

[3] Anderson, M. “Capay farm, distributor buys West Sac warehouse.” Sacramento Business Journal.  Sacramento, CA. August 22, 2010. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/08/23/story3.html (February 2, 2011).

[4] Interview with Bobbi Reilly Sheahan, February 2, 2011.

Tapas History and Recipes

Tapas are essentially snacks, but are often combined to make up a full meal. Spaniards usually have dinner between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.. After work but before dinner, everyone goes on a tapeo – a tapas-bar-spree. The tapeo reflects the Spanish approach to life. The tasting and tippling comes from an unabashed love of play and pleasure. Hone entertaining is uncommon in Spain, so tapas bars serve as a de facto living room – a place to eat, relax, meet friends, watch soccer games, and have a drink.

Tapa means “cover” in Spanish. Arguing the evolution of tapas history is a favorite Spanish pastime. One story is that the 13^th-century Castilian king Alfonso X El Sabio (The Learned) was instructed by his doctor to eat several mini-meals a day with wine; hence, tapas. Another theory is that the tapa first appeared because of the need of farmers and workers to take a small amount of food during their working time, to carry them over until the main meal.

However, the most commonly accepted theory is that tapas as we know them originated from Andalusia in the 19^th century as small saucers set over wineglasses in taverns to keep the aroma in and the flies out. Eventually, someone hit on the idea of putting complimentary morsels of food on the saucers to increase bar sales.

Many cultures have their version of tapas. In the U.S. it is called a “snack”. In Middle Eastern cultures, it is known as mezze, or in Chinese, dim sum. France calls their snacks hors d’oeuvre; Japan, okashi.

The traditional drink with the tapa is wine or sangria.

Here's a couple of my favorite tapas recipes!

Roasted Figs Stuffed With Honey Peppered

Serrano Ham and Tronchon with a Sherry &

Cabrales Cream Drizzle

By Chef John O’Neil

8 each fresh figs
2 ounces Cabrales (Spanish bleu cheese)
8 slices Serrano Ham, thinly sliced
8 teaspoons Tronchon (Spanish semi-soft cheese)

4 ounces heavy cream
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 ounces shallots, minced
1 tablespoon honey, slightly warmed (easy to drizzle )
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces dry sherry
Fresh black pepper -- 2-3 grinds over each fig

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

First, wash and lightly pat dry figs. Split them in fourths starting at the top of the stem and only cut 3/4 of the way down, keeping the fig intact. Next divide the Tronchon into 8 equal portions (about the size of a fingernail). In each fig place a piece of the cheese and loosely close back up. Wrap all figs in one slice of the Serrano ham. With the warmed honey, use a teaspoon to drizzle it over the figs (much like you would do to a cinnamon roll). Sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper (more or less depending on your taste -- keep in mind that the ham is a little salty and it needs to be balanced with at least some pepper). Place in pre-heated oven for 8-12 minutes (check at 8 minutes -- your oven may need a little more time, depending on how hot it gets).

Next, while the figs are in the oven, heat a small non-stick pan to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and count to five, then add shallots and sauté (count to 10 you want them soft). Add garlic next and count to 15. Take pan off heat and add sherry (may flame up so tilt pan slightly away). Reduce sherry to a glaze in the pan. Add cream and reduce by 1/3, stirring with a rubber spatula. (At this point, check figs!) When cream is reduced, turn down the heat to medium & add the Cabrales bleu cheese; stir and count to 10, then turn off heat. Season with salt and fresh pepper and set aside

(Check figs again.) When figs are ready, pull from the oven and place each one on a family style plate or individual appetizer plates. Drizzle with the cream sauce -- only about a teaspoon will do.

Enjoy!

Serving Size : 8.

Camarones el Diablo

By Chef John O'Neil

6 yellow tomatoes, peeled

1 pound uncooked shrimp

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2 tablespoon shallots, minced

1/2 cup onion, very small chop

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 sprig chopped fresh thyme

2 ounces sherry

6 slices baguette bread, toasted

1/2 of one chipotle in adobo sauce, minced

1 teaspoon serrano chile, minced

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

salt and pepper

Salt and pepper shrimp just before cooking.

Set large sauté pan to medium-high, add oil and sauté shrimp until light pink, about 30-45 seconds. Remove and set aside. Turn pan down to medium. In the same pan, add garlic, shallots, chipotle, serrano, and flakes sauté for about 1 ½ minutes and take pan off of heat. Add sherry and thyme and reduce until almost dry. Turn up heat to medium-high, add butter and let it slightly brown, then add tomatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6.

Quinoa with Ruby Port and Cranberry Compote

Several people have told me how much they enjoyed my post on Quinoa and asked for more recipes using this superfood. So, here's one that I love:

Quinoa with a Ruby Port and Cranberry Compote

2 cups (inexpensive) ruby port
3/4 cup orange juice (about 3 good size oranges or use any prepared orange juice)

12 oz. dried UNSWEETENED cranberries (I’ve only found these at Whole Foods in the bulk aisle.)

8 dried black mission figs; chopped (I’ve found these at Whole Foods or Central Market in the bulk aisle.)

1 cup dried Zanté currants (I’ve found these at Whole Foods in the bulk aisle.)

1 cup dried peaches, finely sliced (I’ve only found these at Central Market in the bulk aisle.)
1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1 cup chopped cashews (optional, but adds protein and texture)

1 cup sugar or Splenda

1 box prepared Quinoa- about 2½ cups cooked

Combine port, juice, cranberries, figs, currants, peaches and orange rind in nonstick 2qt sauce pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium and continue cooking until the volume is reduced by half. This should take about 20 minutes, but be careful because this is very easy to burn!!

When the volume is reduced by half, taste and check the consistency. It should be thick like maple syrup and taste very sweet, light and fruity. (Since stovetops and perception are subjective it should have the consistency of melted jelly and all the fruit should be tender and soft.) If it is still too thin, simmer for 5 more additional minutes and recheck. If fruit is still hard and the liquid is gone then add about ½ cup of water at a time and continue on medium heat.

In large mixing bowl mix the quinoa, cashews, and compote together. Serve cold warm, or anywhere in between -- it will be great either way.

Tip: Reduce the compote even further to a thick goo and use as a glaze for pork, fish, or chicken dishes. This freezes very well in a freezer bag for 3-4 months.

Portion Sizes

In this piece from 20/20, John Stossel interviews people about portions and serving sizes compares to label information.  Many of the food labels do appear somewhat skewed in how their items are labeled – such as the pickle saying a servings size is ¾ of a spear.  I’m not generally a fan of more governmental regulation; however, this does seem to be an area where the manufacturers of processed food items are misleading the public.  Maybe there should be regulation along the lines of “a portion size can be no less than one whole part of the item as presented”.  In other words, if you are going to make a serving size of pickle spears, the portion size can be no less than one spear.  Or, for the muffin, a portion size can be no less than the one muffin.  That would leave the onerous on the manufacturers to either present the whole information about the whole muffin, or make smaller muffins.

On the other hand, stupidity on the part of the buying public as to the portion size or calorie count cannot be blamed on the manufacturers.  Maybe people are confused about portion sizes, but it actually seems that many people do not really care about calories or portion sizes.  They just want to eat what they want in the amount they want.  Then, they are surprised when they gain weight or can’t fit in their clothes.

The free market system cannot be blamed for the stupidity of its purchasers.  The companies make what sells.  The buyers determine the supply and demand of the items available.  If people weren’t buying, then they wouldn’t be selling.

Having been through massive weight loss – over 90 pounds due to lap band surgery – I can attest to the difference between what we *think* is a portion size versus what really is a portion size for a normally sized person.  As one woman in the video said, “how small is that person?”  Well, really the size of the person should not matter for the portion.  A person wouldn’t be “oversized” if his or her portions aren’t oversized.

But, some blame also needs to be placed on the overprocessed convenience foods of our generation.  If a person eats grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, and brown rice, maybe the portion sizes become more obvious than when chowing down on some pizza or muffins.

Education is the key to clearing up the confusion about what to eat and how much of it.  But, there’s so many disagreements about what the best information is that it creates difficulty in agreeing on what information is given out.  Can we all agree to eat a high-GI diet?  Or are there some “experts” that maintain a low-carb diet is “it”?  Can we agree that muffins are bad for breakfast and oatmeal is better?  Of course not.  So, the misinformation continues and it is up to the consumer to listen to all the viewpoints and determine for himself or herself what is best.

What do you think?

What the Heck is All This Organic Stuff About?

Food Labels

The Food Safety and Inspection Service defines the following label terms:

• Certified: Meat that has been stamped with this label has been "evaluated" by the USDA "for class, grade, or other quality characteristics."
• Natural: Use of this label is permitted if the product contains "no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed."
• No Hormones: This label applies only to beef. Since hormones are not supposed to be given to pigs or chickens, pork and poultry products cannot legally be tagged with this label without the disclaimer "Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones."
• No Antibiotics: This label can be used on beef and poultry products, provided that the producer supplies "sufficient documentation … that the animals were raised without antibiotics."

What Is "Organic"?

Organic food differs from conventional food in the way it is grown, handled, and processed. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.
A company cannot label a food to be "organic" if it does not meet the USDA standards. Additionally, the USDA has a voluntary labeling process. If you see the use of the USDA organic seal, that means the food is "95% organic".

Don’t confuse the terms "organic" and "natural" – they are not interchangeable. "Natural" meat is defined by the USDA as "meat that contains no artificial ingredients, and that is minimally processed." This definition does NOT refer to the way the animals were raised, only to how the meat is processed. Meat labeled as "Natural" may or may not have additional claims on the label.

Super Sprowtz

I love this video -- All The Veggie Ladies -- and this company Super Sprowtz is doing some really cool things too!


Meet the Super Sprowtz! from Super Sprowtz on Vimeo.