hopeful signs from Dept. of Agriculture

No, this isn't in the front of my yard, but it is an issue that affects millions of kids.

the school lunch program.

My best understanding is that, basically, it is a dumping ground for all the unhealthy commodities that our current agri-business model of farming produces, and schools make "food" out of it. It is pretty pathetic.

Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture, has been taken as a pretty dismaying sign about what direction food/agriculture policy is going to take. This interview makes me more hopeful

Michael Pollan - Again

Yeah, so I am a Pollan-phile, and I will have more to say about him, I am sure, particularly about his relatively new book, "In Defense of Food", soon, but if you haven't gotten to read or hear much from him, I present this interview with Bill Moyer.  It gets to a lot of his issues and thinking.  It can also be downloaded as a podcast, so you can listen at your leisure:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/11282008/watch.html

A Good Start

One of my goals as a parent is to continue the appreciation for basic cooking skills that I grew up with. Or more precisely, an expectation that the food I eat comes from a process called cooking, which more often than not, I carry out. With that in mind this picture of the FYG progeny #2, caught in a spontaneous, but intense, state of play-cooking is heart warming.

Things I never knew were so good - arugula!

As a part of an ongoing series, I explore foods that I never would have eaten if not for a little patch of dirt to grow them in.

Arugula. This the veggie that I thought only some wacko liberal was supposed to like. But as is often the case I found myself with a packet of seeds and an inkling of interest in something new sparked by a friend's recommendation. So, I spread some seed for a cutting patch of greens and WOW with a simple vinagraite, or as recommended by a friend, lemon juice, good olive oil, salt and pepper, you are eating good!

Oh my goodness

what a great day!
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Baby lettuce salad

As I was thinning a bed of scattered romaine lettuce, it seemed a waste of all the baby lettuce leaves to throw them away so instead I composed a salad. Feeling adventurous and lazy, I forwent removing the roots opting instead to rinse very well. With a classic vinegraitte the result was excellent. The roots provided a bit of bite and heartiness. Additional fyg bonus: fresh garlic chives fir viniagrette.

Back on

First I catch my wife checking my blog as though there should be any reason to expect a post .

Then an elderly Armenian (generally spealing,the best and most prolific home gardeners in Pasadena!) couple pulls their car over to ask me how I had such success with my tomatoes.

So I have been given the kick in the pants that I need to get back to blogging. I will start with a picture ok my last tomatoes of the season. They will be fried in short order of course.

And testing.

Harvest time begins

This is my favorite time as the produce begins to roll in but still before the plants start dying. Nothing like a big pile of vegies to make all the work seem worth it.

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Wow!

Wow!


Originally uploaded by chris brandow

This tomato is just shy of one pound - hardly a record setter - but it

makes my kitchen knife look like a paring knife!



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