What The Heck Are These?

I think what I enjoy most about shopping at farmers' markets is finding unusual produce. These weird little thingies certainly fall into that category. I'd never seen them before. (They look like mini versions of the pods from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers.")

What the heck are they? Well, all I can tell you is they're called husk cherries. Just squeeze the tan, paperlike outer husk, and out pops a little yellow orb that you eat--and there's no pit! (Actually, in response to the "try one" sign at the market, I almost made the mistake of eating it whole. The whole shebang was in my mouth, husk and all. Boy, was I embarrassed!)

What do they taste like? Well, the taste-testers in my household (consisting of me, my husband, and my daughter) had differing opinions. To my palate, they were slighly sweet with creamy herbal overtones (sounds like a good red wine, right? Hmmm, husk cherry wine...) My husband chewed, shrugged and did not comment (not exactly a rave review). My daughter screwed up her face and said they reminded her of the flouride treatment she once got at the dentist (mind you, that was years ago, long before I read about the dangers of flouride. But that's fodder for another blogging session). So, that's a downright pan from the resident teenager.

So, that's that. Not exactly a hit, but interesting nonetheless. Ok, I know what you're thinking: reading this cost five minutes of your life you'll never get back. Well, look at it this way: now you know what a husk cherry is. And that's knowledge I'm sure you couldn't have lived without!

I promise tomorrow's recipe post will be a bit more interesting (DELICIOUS pork chops). And I guarrantee that husk cherries will NOT be on the ingredients list!

Lisa

(Photo: www.copyright-free-pictures.org.uk)


Catch a Buzz…..Save The Bees!

Every morning, a plump, yellow and black visitor descends upon my deck, happily buzzing around a flower-filled planter next to the slider door. This rotund fellow makes his rounds from bloom to bloom, drinks his fill, then zooms off in search of new delicacies.

Not too long ago I would have viewed this large, stinging insect as a pest, and wished him gone. But that's no longer the case. In fact, lately I’ve been having lots of warm, fuzzy thoughts about bees.

Why? Well, did you know that bees pollinate 60 percent of the food that we eat? Yep! Without them, we wouldn’t have melons, squashes, blueberries, apples, nuts, alfalfa, clover, cocoa, vanilla, mango, plums, apricots, broccoli, coffee….the list goes on and on. Suffice it to say that without bees, “life on this planet as we know it would end,” as noted in an excellent article by Tammy Toad Ryan in this summer’s Edible Jersey magazine.

Folks, bees need your help. They’re in trouble. Here in New Jersey, we’re down from 40,000 hives in 1990 to 10,000 now. Not good! You’ve probably heard about the phenomenon referred to as colony collapse disorder, where previously healthy colonies simply die off. This happens when colonies become weakened, and experts believe this is probably due to loss of food sources and the effects of toxic chemicals in the environment.

What can we do? Experts urge farms and lawns to go organic, since bees are killed when they come into contact with insect-control products that are given to plants in food, water, or soil, or when they eat the plants themselves. Says Tim Schuler, currently the New Jersey State bee inspector (how’s that for a job title??!), “the biggest threat to honeybees is the lack of forage because of changes in land use, and pesticides in our environment. The image of the perfect lawn needs to go.” Turns out that the weeds that foil our quest for the perfect lawn—like dandelions and clover—are perfect food for bees. And the pesticides we use to kill these weeds kill not only the weeds, but the bees, too. A double-whammy! Yikes!!

What else can we do? Plant a variety of flowers (wildflowers are great), to provide bees with viable sources of food. I just added three butterfly bushes to my yard—not only do the butterflies love them, the bees do, too! If anyone can recommend deer-resistant perennials and bulbs, please share!


Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……. Lisa

FRIDAY FIX....................................

Ok, carnivores, here's something that will make grilled veggies taste so delicious you might just forget there's no meat on your plate! Here's my all-time fave marinade, from the excellent cookbook "Quick Vegetarian Pleasures" by Jeanne Lemlin (first introduced to me by my pal Kelly).

It's no secret that most of us don't eat enough veggies. We need to increase our veggie intake (and eat less meat overall), so check it out! Try replacing one or two meals a week with a vegetarian/vegan option. There are lots of fabulous recipes for main courses, soups, salads, breads, muffins, desserts...and much more.

This marinade makes AMAZINGLY SCRUPTIOUS grilled veggies. I especially like it with eggplant (of course), zucchini, peppers, and especially portobello mushrooms. They're so dense and substantial, you wont miss the slab of sirloin that's NOT on your plate! It's also a nice change from Italian-style vinegar-based marinades. I don't know about you, but I'm balsamic vinegared-out!!

LEMON-SOY Marinade

1/2 cup vegetable oil (since I strongly prefer olive oil over other types, that's what I use)

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 1/2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce (I've used regular and low-sodium and they're ok, too)

1 scallion, very thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, pressed (local, organic if possible! It's so much better!)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger (my husband is not a ginger fan, so I reduce or omit it entirely. I love the touch of ginger, but it's still delicious without)

Mix all ingredients together. Makes about 1 1/4 cups

Note: If you're in a hurry, I find the veggies marinate nicely in as little as 30 minutes (although Lemlin says to marinate 4-6 hours). You can brush more marinade on as they grill if you wish.

Delish!! Enjoy!!

Lisa

Food Coloring - Demystified....

Avoid it! for you, for your kids! It's insidious and you can easily eliminate it from your diet.
Cancer, Asthma, Allergies, Hyperactivity, NO THANKS!

Here's the scoop.....

There are basically seven, 7, only SEVEN what they call "certifiable" food colorings that are permissable in food production.

CERTIFIABLE = CHEMICALS = DON'T EAT IT!

Being designated as Classified Colors they must be listed on the ingredients list by name.
They are...

Blue # 1 (Brilliant Blue)
Blue #2 (Indigotine)
Green #3 (Fast Green)
Red #3 (Erythrosine)
Red #40 (Allura Red)
Yellow #5 (Tartrazine)
Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow)

Here's WHY you want to avoid the CERTIFIABLE Colors....

They are derived from..........drumroll please....

Petroleum Distillates or Coal Tar!

What will that do to you?

Following dye info from foodreactions.org

(annotations by moi....)

Red #3 can increase thyroid hormone levels and lead to hyperthyroidism, was shown to cause thyroid cancer in rats in a study in 1990; banned inUK January 1990, but not recalled by the US FDA**; banned in Norway

This kills me!$% Thyroid Cancer, come on...how is this acceptable!

FD&C Red No.40; Orange-red colour used in sweets, drinks and condiments, medications and cosmetics, synthetic; introduced in the early eighties to replace amaranth which was considered not safe due to conflicting test results; allura red has also been connected with cancer in mice; banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria and Norway
Are you kidding me - CANCER! Gee thanks, let's bundle them up and send them to school with a nice yummy dose of CANCER!

FD&C Yellow No.6; used in cereals, bakery, sweets, snack foods, ice cream, drinks and canned fish; synthetic; also in many medications including Polaramine, Ventolin syrup; side effects are urticaria (hives), rhinitis (runny nose), nasal congestion, allergies, hyperactivity, kidney tumours, chromosomal damage, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, distaste for food; seen increased incidence of tumours in animals; banned in Norway

more cancer! and other great stuff!

FD&C Yellow No.5; known to provoke asthma attacks (though the US FDA** do not recognise this) and urticaria (nettle rash) in children (the US FDA** estimates 1:10 000); also linked to thyroid tumours, chromosomal damage, urticaria (hives) and hyperactivity; tartrazine sensitivity is also linked to aspirin sensitivity; used to colour drinks, sweets, jams, cereals, snack foods, canned fish, packaged soups; banned in Norway and Austria

more Thyroid TUMOURS! had enough, are we done yet or are we willing to accept Thyroid Tumours as just a price we have to pay for a yummy treat!

FD&C Blue No.2, commonly added to tablets and capsules; also used in ice cream, sweets, baked goods, confectionary, biscuits, synthetic coal tar derivative; may cause nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, skin rashes, breathing problems and other allergic reactions. Banned in Norway

Here's a new one.....High Blood Pressure! yippee!!!

FD&C Blue Dye No.1; used in dairy products, sweets and drinks, synthetic usually occurring as aluminium lake (solution) or ammonium salt; banned in Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Norway

ARE YOU THERE YET? MAD YET? C'mon LET'S DO SOMETHING!

WHAT CAN WE DO?

1) READ THE LABEL and don't buy anything that specifically mentions a color and number. Remember that they have to use the FD&C color number. That's an easy Rule to remember!

following exerpt from Red#40.com

If a certified color is used, it must be explicitly declared on the ingredient list, as "FD&C Red Dye #40" or "Red 40" So if you are reading a products list of ingredients and all you see is the nonspecific "artificial color" then you can be sure it's not a certified color. It may be beet juice extract, it might be carmine or it could be caramel color, but it's certain that it's not Red40.

2) CHOOSE BETTER PRODUCTS - because every time you make a purchase you're casting a vote. Somewhere, someone is looking at those numbers. Let them know by voting with your $$$$. Check everything! It's out there in your Doritos, Fruit Loops, Ice Cream, Cheese. Check the product labeled "Natural". It can be in there too!

3) Drop them a line! Why not let them know what you want. There are alternative or exempt colors that are made from natural plant, animal, and mineral sources. I'd much rather eat something colored from beets wouldn't you?

So in closing, with EYES WIDE OPEN.....PLEASE...........Do Something!

We all really need to take back our food system. It's supposed to be nourishment, ya know, fuel for the body, fuel for growing brains, etc..... It's not supposed to slowly kill us with screwed up thyroids, high blood pressure, hyperactivity and the BIG C....Cancer. No wonder we're all tired, sluggish, pudgy, and lumpy. We don't stand a chance when these things are slipped in while we're too busy raising our kids, going to work, just trying to live.........

This Rant brought to you by......MaryAnn

p.s. you can read more at the links above for foodreactions.org and red40.com

There's lots of info out there related to hyperactivity and A.D.H.D. Some dyes have even been banned successfully as a result of public outcry.