Tag Archives: sustainable eating

Chefs for sustainable food – James Beard Foundation VP Kris Moon on the new Impact Programs

Deep Roots Radio
Deep Roots Radio
Chefs for sustainable food - James Beard Foundation VP Kris Moon on the new Impact Programs
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We all know that chefs can cook, some of them extraordinarily. And we know that what they cook can reflect and flavor local culture. But did you know our chefs can – and increasingly do – play a role in redesigning a more sustainable, healthful food system in America?
I really enjoyed this conversation with Kris Moon, Vice President of the James Beard Foundation because the foundation’s Impact Programs spotlight and promote chef-led efforts to rebuild a more nutritious and regionally-sourced food system in our country.
Experienced and trained in restaurant management, nutrition and major networking events, Moon is leading programs true to the values and heart of the foundation’s namesake, James Beard – the chef and cookbook author who was lovingly regarded as “America’s favorite chef.”
I hope you enjoy this Deep Roots Radio conversation.
Sylvia

Connecting the dots between what we eat and how its grown

Connecting the dots between what we eat and how its grown

Hearth breads made with poolish. Say, what?

Why is it that the hearth breads taste so good? Why do they have those wonderful brown crusts that crunch and shatter when you bite into them? And those holes! When you slice or tear them, their interiors are filled with large glossy holes perfect for holding butter and olive oil and tapenades. Why can’t you make them at home? Do you really need a wood-fired oven?

Hold on…let’s get rid of the myth first. You can bake hearth breads in your home oven. It’s not rocket science, but like anything worthwhile, hearth baking takes a bit of planning and time. Fortunately, however, you’re not chained to your kitchen. On the contrary; you use time, temperature and wet doughs to bend the bread-making process to fit into your schedule.
One strategy is using a pre-ferment – a portion of the total dough that’s mixed hours ahead of the bake. Why? Because a long contact between the water and flour helps free up more of the starches, sugars and proteins that help create great flavor. A pre-ferment also gives the loaf a longer shelf life.
One type of pre-ferment is called a poolish. (Some bread experts believe the term is of Polish origin, hence the name.)

Easy to make poolish starter (pre-ferment)

Easy to make poolish starter (pre-ferment)

It’s an easy-to-make batter made with flour, water and a tiny bit of yeast. You make it 4-16 hours before making the final dough. During those hours, it ferments on your kitchen counter or in your frig, a cold closet or in a chilly root cellar. The colder you keep it, the longer you can extend this process. You can tell it’s ready to use when the thick batter’s filled with bubbles and smells sweet.
When you’re ready to bake, you combine the poolish with the rest of your flour, additional water, sometimes a smidge of yeast, and salt to make up the final dough.
Focaccia with herb oil and freshly cracked salt

Focaccia with herb oil and freshly cracked salt

Loaves made with poolish include ciabatta, pizza, focaccia and other rustic breads.

Learn to make hearth breads using poolish at my hands-on class Tuesday, February 16 at Bull Brook Keep. I’m also holding a class on sourdough breads February 20. Classes are limited to 5 students. For details and to sign up, click here.
Sylvia

Beth Dooley, live, Sat. Jan. 30 – local winter recipes in the land of ice and snow

In last Saturday’s (Jan 13, 2016) Deep Roots Radio interview, chef/author/journalist Beth Dooley described how she came to live in the chilly Upper Midwest, and how it’s not only possible, but delicious to cook with local ingredients in snow-covered Minnesota. This history and grounding is at the heart of her new book, In Winter’s Kitchen.

This Saturday, Jan. 30, Beth will take us to the next step and describe actual recipes – ingredients and spices – for winter cooking. Join us!
What: Deep Roots Radio conversation with Beth Dooley on winter cooking in the land of ice and snow
When: Saturday, January 30, 9:00-9:30AM CT
Where: Broadcast and streamed live from the studios of WPCA Radio 93.1FM, www.wpcaradio.org

Here’s a sample recipe for Curry Potato Salad from Beth’s website, Beth Dooley’s Kitchen,Curry Potato Salad Beth Dooley So many others can be found in her cookbook, The Northern Heartland Kitchen.
Beth’s other cookbooks include: Minnesota’s Bounty: The Farmer’s Market Cookbook; Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland (with Lucia Watson); with Tracy Singleton and Marshall Paulsen, The Birchwood Cafe Cookbook); Meat and Potatoes; and, The Heartland: New American Cooking.

Agrilliance – global website for local food independence and data sharing

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Deep Roots Radio
Deep Roots Radio
Agrilliance - global website for local food independence and data sharing
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In this Deep Roots Radio interview, engineer and social-justice advocate Julien Roberge describes the 2015 launch and future direction of Agrilliance, a global web platform and project of Sustainability Innovation & Strategy, an organization he co-founded in Quebec, Canada.
According to its website, Agrilliance aims to transform “the landscape of food supply and demand by making it local – globally.
“We are developing a range of solutions with that intent and our first initiative comes in the form of a web platform that facilitates connections between consumers and food producers. By building trust between customers and suppliers, we aim to strengthen local quality food access.

Agrilliance website

Agrilliance website

“Much more than a farmer-to-consumer directory, Roberge says the aim is to develop a rich resource for access to increased biodiversity in crops and livestock, climate data and producer networking. The focus is on good healthful foods produced locally: revived food independence, food security.
I hope you enjoy this interview.
Sylvia
This and other Deep Roots Radio podcasts can be found on my website and on iTunes.

Fermentation Fest 2015 – the Wisconsin terroir of chocolate, wine, yogurt, music, kimchi, bread, farm art and lots more

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Deep Roots Radio
Deep Roots Radio
Fermentation Fest 2015 - the Wisconsin terroir of chocolate, wine, yogurt, music, kimchi, bread, farm art and lots more
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Fermentation Fest 2015: A Live Culture Convergence is about lots more than hands-on classes and taste samplings of outstanding beers and wines, kimchi and yogurt. It’s about the terroir of local Wisconsin foods and the culture – social, agricultural and artistic – that springs from the land, water and people of Reedsburg, Wisconsin.
In this Deep Roots Radio conversation, event organizer Jay Salinas describes the arts, food and music of this 10-day event and why it’s bring more and more people together every year.
Fermentation Fest is the major annual celebration of the Wormfarm Institute, in Reedsburg.
I hope you’ll enjoy this Deep Roots Radio interview, and take in the music, classes, farm-art instillations and conversations of this unique event.
Sylvia

Deep Roots Radio, 91.3FM and www.wpcaradio.org

Deep Roots Radio, 91.3FM and www.wpcaradio.org

Missed a recent Deep Roots Radio show? Download/listen here or on iTunes.

100% grass-fed beef – grown for flavor, nutrition and environmental stewardship – is at the core of our farm, Bull Brook Keep. We breed our herd, raise the cows, and finish our beef with the land, animals and customers in mind. We’re committed to farming with a tiny carbon hoofprint (c).
We’re also dedicated to exchanging ideas and information. It’s why we encourage visitors to walk our pastures with us. It’s also why I produce and co-host a Saturday morning show called Deep Roots Radio.
Every food dollar we spend supports the production system behind it. Are we paying for chemicals and poverty-level wages? Are we importing instead of growing food here? Are we buying locally-grown foods?
In the past five years, Deep Roots Radio guests have helped us connect the dots between what we eat and how it’s grown. They’ve included farmers and ranchers, scientists and policy makers, educators and chefs, film makers and investigative reporters.
Here’s an archive of recent shows. Download/listen here, or find on iTunes. Enjoy.
Sylvia


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Connecting the dots between what we eat and how it’s grown


Saturday mornings, 9:00-9:30AM Central Time. Broadcast and streamed live from the studios of WPCA Radio, 93.1FM and on the Internet at www.wpcaradio.org.

When it’s too hot: Get ready…set…ferment!

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It feels like 150 degrees out there; way too hot for picking beans, weeding beets and thinning carrots. And the thought of putting huge pots of water to boil to blanch greens and can veggies is crazy-making. But that’s what summer’s about, isn’t it – enjoying what you can now of the fruits and veggies from your garden, CSA box or farmers market, and preserving the rest for the much cooler days we know are ahead.
Fermentation is a great way to preserve veggies without heating up the kitchen. For example, yesterday – when it was 84 degrees – I put up kimchi (think of a very spicy Asian version of sauerkraut) and swiss chard stems. It was easy.
What is fermentation, you ask? It’s a method of preserving foods that’s been used for thousands of years by cultures the world over.
In a nutshell, and at its most basic, what you do is submerge your chopped, sliced or whole veggie in salted water (a brine) and then let the action of anaerobic bacteria do their work to “sour” the food. The beneficial micro-organism harnessed for this work is lactobacillus bacteria. That’s why this process is sometimes referred to as lacto-fermentation.
By the way, although the terms sound similar, lacto-fermentation has nothing to do with milk and lacto-intolerance. Instead, lacto refers to the lactic acid produced by the bacteria which acidifies the food, releases additional nutrients from the veggie, and keeps it safe to eat. Think of sauerkraut – fermented cabbage. Fermented foods can be ready to eat in a handful of days or after several weeks, and then stored for months more. Key to this process is constantly keeping the veggies submerged.

Napa cabbage kimchi and swiss chard stems ferment

Napa cabbage kimchi and swiss chard stems ferment


Oh, and what did I do with the chard leaves I stripped from the stems? I blanched them in boiling water for two (2) minutes and then plunged them into ice water to stop the cooking and ready them for the freezer. Again – easy.
So what’ll it be this weekend (after it cools down enough to head out to the garden)? I think I’ll pick green beans to ferment with a brine and a variety of other spices. Fennel? Caraway? Dill? What will work best with my grass-fed beef burgers, pot roasts and steaks?
Here are some of the books I’m using to build my fermentation skills:
– The Art of Fermentation, by Sandor E. Katz
– Fermented Vegetables, by Kristen K. Shockey & Christopher Shockey
– The Kimchi Cookbook, by Lauryn Chun
– The Nourished Kitchen, by Jennifer McGruther
– Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning, by The Gardeners & Farmers of Terre Vivante
What are you fermenting?
Sylvia

July 11, 9-9:30AM CT. The power of the Hungry Turtle (Institute) to re-invigorate local food culture.

What: Deep Roots Radio interview with Kristen Lee-Charlson, new Executive Director of Hungry Turtle Institute in Amery, Wisconsin.
When: Saturday, July 11, 2015, 9:00-9:30AM Central Time
Where: Broadcast and streamed live from the studios of WPCA Radio, 93.1FM and worldwide at www.wpcaradio.org.
Why: Consumer demand for local, sustainably-produced food continues to climb. Food lovers are also searching for information about the farms, nutrition, taste and preparation of the delicious and nutrient-packed veggies, fruits, and pastured meats. Ah, that’s were the Hungry Turtle Institute (HTI) comes in.
In its second year, HTI is a nonprofit dedicated to connecting food lovers and food growers to practical info and experiences, lively discussions, and other useful and fun resources. An example is the Hungry Turtle Weekend coming up July 18th.

Deep Roots Radio, 91.3FM and www.wpcaradio.org

Deep Roots Radio, 91.3FM and www.wpcaradio.org

Seed swapping and seed libraries – illegal? SELC’s Neil Thapar and freeing the seeds.

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Deep Roots Radio
Deep Roots Radio
Seed swapping and seed libraries - illegal? SELC's Neil Thapar and freeing the seeds.
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In this Deep Roots Radio interview, attorney Neil Thapar describes the technical glitch that makes it illegal to organize seed libraries or trade seeds with fellow gardeners.
Thapar practices with the Sustainable Economies Legal Center (SELC), Oakland, California. Its mission is to provide legal expertise needed to move communities, governments and organizations from destructive economic systems to innovative, cooperative alternatives. the nonprofit works to create a new legal landscape that supports community resilience and grassroots economic empowerment. SELC provides legal tools – education, research, advise and advocacy – so that communities can develop their own sustainable sources of food, housing, energy, jobs and other assets that promote thriving communities.
To find out more about its Save Seed Sharing Campaign, visit www.theselc.org/save_seed_sharing.

Sylvia

Jennifer McGruther – pulling traditional, highly nutritious and delicious foods back into today’s kitchens…beautifully

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Deep Roots Radio
Deep Roots Radio
Jennifer McGruther - pulling traditional, highly nutritious and delicious foods back into today's kitchens...beautifully
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Here’s the podcast!
You want to eat delicious, healthy foods. You want to get back to what’s real, and you want to do it yourself! But you’re not sure where to start, and you wonder if you’ll spend the rest of your life in the kitchen!
Worry no more. Jennifer McGruther recently published an absolutely beautiful cookbook that goes by the same name as her wildly popular website – The Nourished Kitchen. Based on sound science, as well as time-tested approaches, Jennifer’s book will guide you back to great taste and high nutrition. In this Deep Roots Radio interview, she explains how you can do it!

Bringing traditional health and taste back into cooking

Bringing traditional health and taste back into cooking