Serving Ourselves Farm in Edible Boston Magazine

This past spring I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days volunteering at Serving Ourselves Farm, located on Long Island in Boston Harbor. The organic farm provides much needed high quality produce to underserved populations in the Boston area. It also serves as a job training program for homeless individuals residing on the island, giving them the opportunity to learn about many different aspects of food production and the farm to table cycle. Click here to read the piece I wrote about my experience for the summer issue of Edible Boston.

Yes, that is me in the picture, looking much too serious!

Henrietta's Fabulous Table

When my mother arrived in town this past Friday, I knew I wanted to take her someplace special for dinner. Normally, in June, I would have thought first of the most delicious dining spots with outdoor seating. But, given the dreary weather that persists in this town, patio dining was not an option. I wanted a meal that could remind us of the season, even if the weather would not. And so we found ourselves at Henrietta's Table, where my mother, my fiance, and I kicked off our visit with a fabulous, locally-inspired supper.

Our starter plate of local cheeses, including a tangy bleu, a scrumptious soft cheese, and the most complex, flavorful cheddar I've ever had the pleasure of eating.

All three of us enjoyed delicious salads with fresh local greens. Mine featured pastrami salmon, chive oil, crispy potato wafers, and Vermont creme fraiche. The perfect combination of salty, creamy, and crunchy. Yum.

Maine Rock Crab Cakes with seasonal asparagus and a creamy remoulade. The crab was sweet, flaky, and perfectly seasoned. Not a breadcrumb in site.

Last but certainly not least, our seasonal strawberry shortcake desert. We nearly didn't order it, as we were uniformly stuffed, but we decided we really ought to do our part for Mass Farmers Markets. For those of you who may not have heard of the Strawberry Dessert Festival, participating restaurants are donating a portion of proceeds from strawberry desserts to Mass Farmers Markets, through June 28th. The perfect excuse to indulge!

Coming Soon (tomorrow!) to a Theater Near You...

Earlier this week, thanks to the lovely folks at Edible Boston magazine, I had the opportunity to attend an advance screening of Food, Inc. at the Kendall Square Theater. The film, a documentary directed by Robert Kenner, presents a remarkably comprehensive picture of the troubles plaguing our current food system. Although the cast of characters and issues are familiar to many of us (Monsanto, factory farms, and corrupt government officials on one side; Michael Pollan, Joel Salatin, and public seed on the other), Kenner has put the pieces together in a clear, concise manner that makes it easy to understand these very complex issues. He has also done a remarkable job of illuminating the human suffering that results from our current food system, a subject that often takes a back seat to the animal suffering involved. There are long-time farmers being forced to pay for patented seed or face a lawsuit, undocumented workers being treated as a disposable work force, and families all across the country who want to make better food choices for their children but can't afford to when broccoli costs five times as much as a two liter of soda.

The film is informative without being preachy or sensational, and will surely strike a chord with many, many viewers, including those who aren't as familiar with these issues. It also reminds us that we do have tremendous power as consumers, and that every dollar we spend sends a message to the farmers and companies involved, as well as our government. Choosing locally raised chicken during one trip to the grocery store may feel insignificant, but the cumulative effect of these small personal choices sends big messages to the decision-makers in this system; even Walmart, the biggest player of them all, made all of their milk hormone free based on consumer choices.

Whether you're new to the sustainable food movement or you think you've heard it all before, this is a movie that we all need to see. It is both convincing and inspiring, and will hopefully serve as a much needed vehicle for growing the grass roots movement required to effect real change.

So get out there this weekend and head to the theater! Then visit their website to find out what you can do to create a food system that's healthy for our bodies, our minds, and our planet.

(For theaters and showtimes near you, click here!)

In My Mother's Garden...

...you will find four varieties of tomatoes--including yellow--green beans, squash, cucumbers, lettuce, and zucchini.  Oh, and some brilliantly red radishes, which have been proclaimed "so, so spicy!"  The raised veggie bed was suggested by a landscaper my mother hired to make some non-edible improvements to her back yard (three cheers for him!), and now she has a full season of crisp, fresh flavor to look forward to.  

If only she lived a little closer than Oklahoma.  When the afternoon sun grows far too hot, we could have garden parties in the shade with green bean salad and a cold glass of Prosecco.  Lucky for me she will be visiting next weekend, and we can do just that. 

Fruitopia

In this morning's New York Times, Kim Severson has a great article about urban produce-sharing programs.  

Through Neighborhood Fruit, backyard growers can register their fruit trees and share their harvest when the time is ripe.  Don't have a fruit tree to share?  Not to worry.  You can still get in on the picking for a small fee.  At Veggie Trader, you can also swap and share produce from your garden.  

What a fabulous way to get some fresh, local goodies and get to know your neighbors while you're at it!

Six Little Basils...

Last summer, my fiance found himself inspired by the abundance of herbs in the aisles of Home Depot.  He bought a planter, attached it to our tiny back porch rail, and filled it to the brim with green.  There was basil, sage, parsley, and more, and we dreamed of eating fresh, herbaceous dinners all summer long.  

Not two weeks later, every plant in the bunch was moldy and yellowed.  What on earth was the problem?  Was it the wrong kind of soil?  Not enough light?  Were the plants moldy to begin with?  Our own ineptitude at growing?  No matter the cause, there was nothing to do but get rid of them.  We contemplated going in for another round, but our disappointment was too great.

It's a new year though, so when I saw these little basils at the Atlas Farm stand at the Copley Square Farmers Market, I just couldn't resist.  They were so lovely and green, and I knew they'd been much better cared for in their youth than the wilted masses at Home Depot, where I have since noticed that the herbs are, quite often, covered in mold.  (Lesson: buy living things at the market, not the big box store).  Still, given my not-so-great history of trying to grow things, I was nervous about the whole proposition.  But, I told myself, if I'm ever going to have a garden, I have to start somewhere.

The little plants lived on my kitchen window sill for a few cold, rainy days, but when yesterday dawned warm and sunny, I knew the moment of truth had come.

I cleaned out the planter, shown here with last years soil and some industrious little weeds.  If only herbs could grow so easily!

The basils had some time to get used to their new home while it dried.

And then, voila!  Carefully planted and watered, they busily soaked up the sun from their perch above the Astroturf. They look happy as can be, for now.

Now we watch, and wait, and water.  

Slow Food, Southern Style

Not long ago I had the opportunity to visit Callaway Gardens, a very special resort just an hour outside of Atlanta.  These are not your typical gardens; much of the 13,000 acres is made up of forests that have been naturally restored over the years from land that had been devastated by the monoculture of cotton farming.  Now, the lush landscape is interwoven with hiking and biking trails, with a wide variety of ecofriendly activity and lodging options available to visitors.  

Perhaps most delightful for this visitor was the discovery that Callaway's mission--"connecting man and nature in a way that benefits both"--has grown to include the Slow Food philosophy.  At Gardens Restaurant, pictured here, much of the menu is locally grown and produced, including veggies from Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden, a 7.5 acre growing plot located right in the heart of the resort.  Diners can enjoy a southern-themed menu full of locally sourced items, including fresh goat cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy and pan seared Alabama shrimp, as well as gorgeous stacks of fried green tomatoes.  The muscadine salad dressing, made with a local grape variety that's a Callaway specialty, was also a delightful treat over some organic greens.  All told, the menu at Gardens is a reminder of how important it is to keep our local food cultures alive and thriving.  Regional cuisine is not only a key part of our cultural history, but also part of what makes travel so enjoyable.  How exciting to discover the sweet flavor of a new grape variety, rather than the same chain restaurant items everywhere you go.

So, next time you find yourself in the Atlanta area, or if you're looking for the perfect spot for a relaxing getaway, pay a visit to this southern gem.  Just be prepared to extend your stay by a day or two; once you're there, you'll never want to leave!