Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

Dear Farmers and Ranchers:

A couple of weeks ago during the Grammys (yeah, I know, the Oscars were yesterday), Chipotle aired a short with a cover of Willie Nelson singing Coldplay’s “The Scientist.” (See above.)

The twittersphere went nuts. While Whitney Houston death may have brought the Academy together, it was Chipotle’s ad that stole people’s hearts. Even Fox News (yes, FOX NEWS!) praised it saying:

“...while people may dream of animals roaming free before being taken to slaughterhouses, in reality, most meat comes from animals held in cramped cages their entire lives, pumped full of drugs and food that plumps them up in a short amount of time.”

            While food activists were delighted to see such support against factory farming, you farmers and ranchers…were uh…I’ll let you speak for yourselves.

“Is it really correct to characterize larger farms as ‘factory farms’ that mistreat animals if they are housed in barns protected from inclement weather?”

-U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance

“There are so many things wrong with the picture painted in the Chipotle Grammy commercial (this commercial has been out for awhile, just not on T.V.) that I don't know where to start.” - Crystal Cattle

“You don’t have the slightest clue about what goes on on family farms.”

Dairy Business

“Words like ‘disappointed’, ‘grossly distorted’, ‘misrepresentation’, ‘fiction’, ‘mis-characterization’ filled my streams.” Cris from GOODEness Gracious

“Commercial farmers will have to decide whether we can withstand public opprobrium while continuing to efficiently produce the world’s most essential good or join the entertainment industry, selling expensive pork chops with heaping sides of nostalgia.”- Blake Hurst, President of Missouri Farm Bureau in NYTimes op-ed

            Well, I might not agree with the opinions, I do understand the sentiments. Most farmers and ranchers I talk to say that that animal welfare is their first and foremost concern. And I do believe that for the most part, they are sincere. But what about consumers? As seen with the outpouring of support for Chipotle as well as outrage directed at CAFO’s (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), consumers are not so convinced. In fact one study, by consulting firm Deloitte, asked consumers “"Are you more concerned than you were five years ago about the food you eat?" Seventy-three percent of respondents said, “yes.”[1]

            This of course is nothing new. The food scandals of the 1910’s were in good part due to the publication of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Several food borne illnesses, starting with the Jack-in-the-Box E. Coli deaths have made the public even more wary of industrial food products of any kind. You paint people like me as organic food-Nazis, but there’s a reason why we’re scared. We see strawberries carrying 54 different pesticides loads that cause a whole range of diseases and developmental disorders.  rBGH or rbST(or recombinant bovine growth hormone) was a commonly given to cows to increase their milk output, until a public outcry forced dairy to stop using it.[2] And then there’s the GMO debate…

            One might ask, well, what does this have to do with farmers? It has everything to do with farmers. You raise the food we eat everyday. What affects the quality and the safety of our food sources is of inherent interest to a society. Why? Because we consumers eat it.

            Although I would like to see more regulation in food and nutrition awareness and better environmental regulation, I realize these things take time – and should be open to debate. That’s what most of us who are interested in food activism really want: An open and honest debate about how food is made, distributed, marketed and sold in this country. And farmers and ranchers are key in making this happen. How are we to achieve this? Let me count the ways…

1. Transparency. Why transparency? Because the basis of any good policy is contingent upon having all opinions heard. And you can’t form any critical opinions without having the proper information at hand. I realize farms are suspicious of muckraking journalists looking for piles of dung to fling onto headlines, but are ag-gag rules really the way to deal with this problem? Maybe the better way is to open farms for inspection. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. And better yet, unlike the many food activists who have oodles of media resources, maybe you’ll get a chance to tell your side of the story about farming or ranching. You will get to complicate a picture that often gets over-simplified by media sources that don’t know squat about farming. You don’t want your story co-opted? Tell it yourself.

2. But DON’T sugarcoat the truth. No one likes a snow job. No, I don’t mean this as an underhanded way of getting ammunition for animal rights groups or environmentalists. As tempting as it would be to show bucolic pictures of happy cows roaming the green pastures or fields of wheat gently waving in the breeze, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Farming is a rough job. No vacations. No sick days. And it’s risky and dangerous.[3] Showing people these idealized images of farms won’t get them to understand the realities of farming, and in fact, in the end will undermine your profession. By romanticizing farming, you really set up a series of unrealistic expectations that can NEVER be met, no matter how organic, sustainable or green the farm is. Instead explain the realities of the job – we’ll be a lot more sympathetic. Believe me.

3. Economics. While most people get the basics of economics when it comes to their household or the nation’s debt, trying to explain the economics of farming or ranching has many a city mouse screaming “Get me an accountant!!!” Part of problem with our food system is a contradiction in consumer habits: we want safe food, but we want it cheap. And as any economist can tell you, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. The margins for farming and ranching are razor thin.[4] Much of the justification that farmers have for concentrated feed operations and other practices comes down to economics and markets. You want consumers to understand that process? Break down the numbers. Just as most of us want to see how our food is sourced…we should also see how much those processes cost. [5]

4. Blame the food industry – NOT the consumer. I hate to say it, but if you farmers should be furious, you should be placing your blame DIRECTLY on the food industry. They’re the ones that are forcing you to have bad husbandry practices. Why do you need to put antibiotics into your chickens? Because with KFC only paying your $0.30 for chickens that goes into their buckets, any lost chicken is lost revenue.[6] If you want to make money dealing with food and meat processors, you’re screwed – because they hold all the cards. If you want to sell to them, you have to follow their rules, which aren’t cheap, animal-friendly or sustainable. And that also means going big, because the only way to make a profit (if you’re lucky) is through economy of scale. Small time livestock holders never had a chance.

And it’s not just for livestock. Monsanto? They have 93% of the soybean market and 80% of the corn market.[7] They also bought vegetable seed company Seminis in 2005 – Seminis held 40% of the vegetable seed market (corn, peppers, lettuce just to name a few) making Monsanto the largest seed owner in the world.[8] And there’s that thing about Roundup. They sell you Roundup to get rid of weeds. But the problem was that crops couldn’t tolerate Round-up after planting. [9] But lo and behold. Monsanto had an answer for that too. Roundup ready corn and soybean – at triple the price of conventional seed ($130 for conventional corn vs. $400 for Roundup Ready corn). But it’s too late…you’re hooked on the seed and the herbicide. Never mind it’s really expensive. Never mind that the yields are not necessarily better than conventional (the jury is still out on that one). Never mind the environmental consequences of Roundup-resistant weeds as well as genetic transference (but don’t worry, I’m sure Monsanto will have a solution for that too)… [10]

In short, they’re using YOU to make millions while you get NADA. We consumers get that. But what makes consumers confused is when the food industry uses YOUR image to defend their practices. We can’t help but conflate the farmer with industry and their bad practices. Cut the Gordian knot and free yourself.

The truth is, we all need each other. We can’t eat if don’t have farmers. Farmers can’t survive without consumers. I know all you farmers have been saying, “Talk with us, not AT us.” A lot of us are trying. But we need your help. And Willie Nelson's too. Give us something to work with and we'll work with you. It's a start and that's what matters.

Sincerely,
Omnieater

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[1] The Deloitte study and survey can be found here: http://www.deloitte.com/us/pr/foodsafety/2011survey

[2] Just in case you didn’t know this (non-ag people), rGBH was made by…Monsanto.

[3] US Bureau of Labor Statistics cites that farming is one of the most dangerous jobs out there – about 12 times as dangerous as the “average” job (click here for the link). I’ve seen it. My brother used to be a doctor at the University of Iowa. The amount of crazy farm related injuries from farm equipment were astounding.

[4] More so for small farms. Small farms make up 88% of all farms in the US, but only make 34% of production. Large farms are 9% of the total of farms, yet make 66% of production value.

[5] By the way, consumers are willing to pay higher prices for safer food. According to a Pew survey, two-thirds of Americans would be willing pay more for it. As to what “safer” means, is up to debate, but I bet you for most people, that would include pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, etc. Furthermore, 75% would be willing to pay one to three percent more for safer food. Food industries are not off the hook. Seventy percent of respondents said that food companies should pay $1000 to offset food safety costs.

[6] http://grist.org/food/food-cafo-reader-editor-daniel-imhoff-on-the-ills-of-factory-farms/full/

[7] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/28/AR2009112802471.html

[8] Monsanto has been sued by the DuPont, it’s rival, for antitrust violations (the enemy of my enemy is my friend). The Department of Justice has also investigated Monsanto for their monopolization of the seed market.

[9] Point of clarification: For farmers, the beauty of Roundup was that it could be placed directly onto the ground and be just left there without consideration of the crops’ or weeds’ lifecycles. It saved a lot of work. One caveat though – you can only spray Roundup before planting – not AFTER.

[10] The obvious discussion here is about GMO. It’s a discussion that is so complicated (and contentious) that it won’t fit a 1500 word essay, much less a book…or two. I’m against GMO mainly for environmental risk reasons, but this is not the point of this essay...

Dog Days of Summer

    I am taking off for 2 weeks of summer holiday. And considering the heat wave that is hitting the US, I imagine most of you would like to take a summer vacation too – from your stove. So in the spirit of needing to eat but not wanting to do much, I have recipes that require minimal effort. MINIMAL. Remember to stay hydrated, keep cool, and if you have plants, water in the evening. Also, if you can stand it, try to keep your AC down – brownouts are a real threat considering the weather. Don’t be the idiot that broke the electricity grid by turning up the air-conditioning full blast.    
        Stay cool and see you in August!

1.     Tomato sandwich. Take ripe tomato (homegrown, farmer’s market, or heirloom). Slice thinly. Salt and Pepper. Place on good bread with mayo on it.

2.     Take carrot out of ground. Wash. Eat.

3.     Gazpacho. Take 3 tomatoes, 1 cucumber, ½ onion, garlic clove, glug of olive oil, and 1 tbs. of sherry vinegar. Blend smooth or chunky. Add salt to taste.

4.     Borscht. Take 2 cooked beets, 1 c. stock (any kind) and blend. Add salt to taste. Top with sour cream.

5.     Cucumber Sandwich. Take English cucumber, peel and de-seed. Slice thinly. Spread cream cheese or butter on bread. Add cucumbers with salt and pepper.

6.     Pick fruit off neighborhood bush or tree. Eat.

7.     Vietnamese salad. Take coleslaw mix. Add 2 tbs. sesame oil, 1 tsp. fish sauce, juice 1 lime, pepper, and 1 tsp. sugar. Toss.

8.     Beet salad. Take pre-cooked beets. Slice into ½ in. rings. Crumble feta, walnuts and 1 finely chopped shallot on top. Dress with lemon/olive oil.

9.     Ceviche. Take any fresh, firm white-fleshed fish (cod, flounder, etc.-about ½ pound). Chop into bite-sized bits. Mix in juice of 1 lime, 1 lemon, ¼ chopped red onion, salt, some chili (optional and to taste) and 1 tbs. olive oil. Sit in fridge for 3-4 hours. Eat with bread or tortillas.

10. Tuna Salad. Mix 1 can tuna (packed in oil), 1 tbs. chopped capers, some chopped olives, and chopped scallion with juice of 1 lemon. Serve with crackers or on top of greens.

11. Pesto. Blend 1 c. packed herbs (parsley, basil, chives, etc.), with ¼ c. toasted pine nuts, ½ c. olive oil and 1 clove garlic. Add this to any cold leftovers on bread or greens.

12. Marinated Chickpeas with pita. Take 2 cans of chickpeas and toss with 4 tbs. of olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, chopped parsley and shallot, pinch of sugar and salt and pepper. Sit for an hour. Stuff into pit with greens and crumbled feta.

13. Salad rolls. Soak rice paper rolls with hot water for 20 seconds. Fill with greens and pre-cooked shrimp. Roll.

14. Take leftovers. Place in microwave. Eat standing up.

15. Watermelon salad. Cut watermelon into bite-sized cubes. Crumble feta on top. Add finely chopped parsley and shallot. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice.

16. Spinach Salad. Take bag of baby spinach. Dress with 2 tbs. sesame oil, 1 tbs. rice vinegar, pinch of sugar, salt and couple drops of Tabasco.  Can add tuna or cold chicken for protein.

17. Have tortilla? Wrap whatever you have into a roll. Tell your kids to stop whining.

18. Greek Salad. Toss together chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion with black olives (kalmata, etc), feta, cucumber olive oil and lemon. Serve with pita chips or on top of greens.

19. Jicama salad. Peel and chop jicama into matchsticks. Chop 1 mango into bite-sized pieces. Mince ½ jalapeno pepper and ½ red onion. Toss with olive oil, lime juice and chopped cilantro. You can add a can of black beans as well.

20. Caprese salad. Get the best tomatoes and fresh mozzarella you can find. Slice into rounds and layer with basil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. (Leftovers are great between crusty bread for instant sandwich).

21. Crack open cold beer. It was considered food in the Middle Ages. And today in Ireland.

22. 1 boozy peach. Take ripe peeled, pitted and halved peaches (3-4 peaches), 5 tbs. of brown sugar, pinch of salt, 3 tbs. of grappa, and the juice and zest of 1 lime. Sit in fridge for about 2-3 hours. Serve with mascarpone cheese or whipped cream.

23. Courgette spaghetti. Cut 1-2 courgettes (zucchini) into long matchstick strips, using a mandolin. Dress with pesto (see above) or with olive oil, bit of lemon, Parmesan or pecorino cheese.

24. Grill anything you have in your house. Make your husband do the grilling.

25. Cucumber soup (for 2). Peel and de-seed English cucumber. Reserve ¼ of cucumber. Blend the rest with 1 pint buttermilk, some dill and scallions. Season with salt and white pepper.  Scatter with thinly sliced cucumber. Serve with brown bread and butter.

26. Smoerbrod. Take any dark brown bread. Smear with butter. Put pickled herring on top. Add a couple of raw red onion rings.

27. My Favorite Roast Beef Sandwich. Take a good white bread. Place slices of roast beef. Spread with remoulade and crispy onions (like the ones they have from Vietnam).

28. Pile fresh berries. Add cream.

29. Take ice cube. Add 1 oz. Pastis. Add bit of water. Drink. Drink. Drink – until you forget about how damn hot it is.

Enjoy your summer!

Girls in Trees

Cherry Plum Picking

“Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing "Embraceable You" in spats.”

- Woody Allen, Director, Actor and Writer

            If you were a girl, you probably remember being pelted with berries at some time in your elementary school existence. Most were pretty harmless – unless you got the squishy kind. The kind that goes splat on your back, leaves a stain on your my Little Pony t-Shirt and leaves you crying on the way home (no bad memories here…). More than likely that berry was probably Prunus cerasifera, or cherry plums.

            While other stone fruits (drupe is the technical botanical name), such as peaches, nectarines and apricots[1], get all the attention during July and August, cherry plums never go to the ball. And that is a pity, because once you realize they are there, your pantry will be full of amazing plum jam, plum wine and even, homemade plum sauce.

            But where are they? That’s the amazing thing. They are really quite common. In Northern Europe they are commonly used as hedgerow plants, mainly because they are quite easy to grow and need very little maintenance. They are also popular plants for landscapers as they tolerate urban environments quite readily, especially poor or clay packed soil. Furthermore, they are often the first plants to flower (in February or March), spreading some flower power during the dreary days of late winter/early spring.

Cherry Plum Leaves

            Their fruit and their leaf shape readily identify the plants. First, the fruit look like cherries in color and size (their scientific name, Prunus cerasifera, means “plum that bears cherries”), but if you take a bite of them, you will realize quickly that it does not have either the strong almondy flavor/scent of cherries (this comes from the strong presence of benzaldehyde). Plums, on the other hand, have a more lactones, lending themselves to the particularly “peachy” smell. Second, their tree (see picture) has small razor-edged leaves and their fruit is hanging on stems, much like cherries. Third, the tree itself is rather bushy – more like a shrub or small tree – with small branches. Some can grow up to 15 meters (75 feet) high, but those are not the norm.

            But the real question is, how do they taste? SOUR. Well, I have to admit, unlike apples or pears, you cannot eat them out of hand. But they make for great jam and fantastic pastries. You can put them in cake or pie, or make it into chutney to go with pork. And if you are a boozehound, you can also make it into slivovitz, the famous Balkan plum brandy (warning: the stuff is STRONG). Whatever you do – don’t let them go to waste. Every fruit deserves to go the royal ball.

Plum Cherry Crumble

Cherry Plum Crumble

            The nice thing about plums is their high pectin content. This means you don’t have to add any thickener, such as cornstarch, to the fruit – it will thicken on its own. Also, you don’t need to pick completely ripe fruit. It won’t affect the flavor and in fact, overripe cherry plums are a pain to de-stone – they are very mushy and mealy. And please note, the stones (pits) contain hydrogen cyanide – yes, as in will-kill-you cyanide. (This is also the chemical that gives bitter almonds, used in marzipan and amaretti, their characteristic flavor). The cyanide is contained also in the leaves, but trust me, you won’t be tempted to eat either the pit or the leaves; they are distinctly bitter. And not to worry hypochondriacs. The amounts of cyanide in both the pits and leaves are so miniscule that you won’t be going to the hospital – unless have a panic attack.  By the way, if you go tree climbing for these yummies, wear long pants and a tight fitting shirt to avoid being scratched by all the twigs and have some Advil on hand. I’m still sore from hours of climbing.

1 1/4 c. flour

3/4 c. oats (old-fashioned or steel cut – NOT instant)

1 1/3 c. of brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

1/2 c. butter (1 stick) cut into small pieces and chilled

2 pds. cherry plums, halved and pitted

1 tbs. liquor such as amaretto, eau de vie, or kirsch (optional)

crème fraiche or ice cream for serving

1.     Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Mix flour, oats, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl. Take the butter and rub butter into the flour mixture until it has a meal-like consistency. (If not using immediately, set aside in the fridge)

2.     In another bowl, take 1 cup of brown sugar, plums, and liquor (if using) and mix thoroughly. Taste and add more sugar if necessary (you may need to, if your plums are particularly sour). Place plums into a 9-inch deep dish pie or tart pan, sprinkle crumb topping on top and bake until the fruit bubbles and topping is browned, about an hour.

3.     Cool slightly and serve warm or room temperature with ice cream of crème fraiche.

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[1] All stone fruits, including peaches, cherries, nectarines, plums, etc. are directly related to the Prunus genus (which are all part of the Rosaceae or rose family). Almonds also belong to this group of fruits as well (Almonds are the seed of the Prunus amygdalus plant). All fruits belonging to genus Prunus are not self-pollinating, thus they must have a steady pollinator –usually bees – to pollinate them. This is why the development of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in bees is so devastating for California’s fruit production.

Space, The Final Frontier

            I didn’t think I could do it, but I managed to feed several vegetarians and vegans on a Fourth of July without any of them going hungry. Vegetarian food is not that particularly difficult for me to do – but vegan – that’s a whole other story.

            Over the course of our seemingly unpatriotic Fourth of July party with vegan hot dogs and beet salad (no potato salad – it has eggs), we had a long discussion over the serious lack of vegan food options. Restaurants, with the exception of some ethnic restaurants (Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants seem to do OK), are pretty lame at giving vegan eaters something decent to eat.[1] There are a bunch of cookbooks, but after a while, you really get tired of eating endless variations on legume “something” or stir-fried “anything.” And many rely upon really obscure ingredients (Cashew milk? Barley syrup? ) and have even worse names (personal favorites – Mom’s Neatloaf, The Pigs are Safe in the Barn, and Dragonfly’s Bulk Dry Uncheese Mix). As someone who cooks, I realize the challenge of vegan cooking. So much of the flavor of foods is related to the specific chemical composition found in animal products. For example, the savory je ne sais quois of meat is due to the presence of glutamates (related to monosodium glutamate, or MSG - aka the mother of all Chinese food). But glutamates are not just present in meat – lots of foods have it. Mushrooms, cheese, and miso are just some of the examples of foods with high glutamate content. Add miso, and voila! Tastes like meat.

            If it could only be that simple. It’s not just a challenge of finding ingredients to work with; it’s the challenge of changing cooking techniques to adjust to the lack of animal products. For example, most French sauces use prodigious amounts of butter (in fact, I can’t think of a single classical sauce that doesn’t use it). Butter’s emulsifying properties are absolutely critical as the base for these sauces. Vegetable oil won’t cut it. Eggs are critical for most types of “-aise”: mayonnaise, hollandaise, béarnaise. Other sauces need some type of meat stock, not only for flavor, but also for the gelatin formed in the cooking process (critical for all aspics). Baking without butter or eggs almost impossible (butter for fat and eggs as a leveaner). Many Southeast Asian food cultures depend upon fish sauce as an ingredient and a condiment (critical for umami). And East Asian cultures rely heavily upon fish or fish products to flavor soups, stocks and even kimchee (there’s either fish sauce or salted shrimp/krill in it). And for all you chocolate junkies, look carefully. Only dark chocolate contains no milk solids.

            In my attempt to cater to all my vegan friends, I tried swapping various vegan-friendly ingredients for traditional ingredients. Nut/seed butters for butter. Vegetable stock for meat stock. Vegetable oil for pastries. Agar agar for gelatin. Kombu, kombu, kombu. They were all miserable failures on all possible levels: taste, texture, appearance. And my intestines starting hurting from all the fiber.

            While trying to find a way to alleviate the ensuing panic attack I was having at the thought of starving a bunch of pale, under-nourished historians of science, I realized I had it all wrong. Trying to make vegan food taste like non-vegan food was an exercise in futility. Vegan food will never taste like meat because IT’S NOT MEAT and never was meant to be. I had to go back to first principles: vegetables qua vegetables. What is the nature of the vegetable? To be a vegetable – not tofurkey, not veganaise or any other non-vegan wanna-be. 

            I went back to the kitchen and I re-discovered a whole bunch of recipes that were vegan, but never had the label of being “vegan.” And they all taste fantastic and they have no crazy delusions of being an animal product. Many of them come from traditionally vegan traditions, such as Buddhism or Hinduism, but many are them are based upon traditional Western culinary cannons, such as ancient Rome and Greece.

            So as an occasional series, I am going to do some of those great recipes that are vegan in name only. They taste great. Elsie the cow and Charlie Tuna will thank you.

Tabouli with Quinoa

            Quinoa is the new spelt that was the new wheat. Or in fashion terms – it’s the new black. It gained in popularity after a NASA (the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration) study touted it’s nutritional value: “This ‘new’ crop, rich in protein and with desirable proportions of important amino acids, may provide greater versatility in meeting the needs of humans on long-term space missions.”[2] So instead of having Tang and the Smithsonian’s pasta-and-meatballs in a bag, NASA scientists think that quinoa is the food of the future.

            But as we historians like to always joke, it’s older than that. The pre-Columbian Andean and Incan societies (modern day Bolivia and Peru) ate quinoa in vast quantities. And in Bolivian highlands, they still do.[3]

            Contrary to its grain like appearance, quinoa is not a true grain, like that of wheat, barley or rye, which are related to the grass family. They are chenopods and are related to beets and spinach (if you look at quinoa leaves, they resemble spinach leaves in shape and taste). But the real treasure lies in the seeds. Quinoa is almost nature’s perfect food: it is a complete protein source (has a balanced set of amino acids, unlike many other plants), is gluten-free, easy to digest and has lots of fiber. What NASA had reported was known by the Bolivians for eons – it really is one of the world’s most complete foods.

            And it’s really easy to work with. Its versaltlity is astounding. Quinoa can be ground into flour for gluten-free breads. It can be used like any grain – as a starch, in salad, in stews. Bolivians grind the grains and make it into a nutritious smoothie of sorts (with apple juice, sugar and cinnamon).  Here I use it instead of bulgur for tabouli. Yes, it isn’t “authentic” but it makes for a great cold meal on a hot day. And considering how cheaply one can buy fresh herbs and decent tomatoes during the summer, it really makes an easy summer meal, with the addition of some hummus and pita. And even the pickiest of your vegan friends will eat it – because it’s so damn good.

2 large bunches of fresh mint (doesn’t matter what kind), minced

2 large bunches of fresh flat leaf parsley (curly is OK, but flat leaf is better), minced

1 bunch of scallions, finely chopped

2 c. quinoa (white, red or black are all fine)

3 ripe tomatoes, diced

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 lemons, zested and juiced

large pinch of salt (to taste)

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

pinch of ground chipotle pepper

1.     In a large pot, take 2 cups of quinoa and 3 1/2 cups of water. Place over high heat until boiling, and then turn the heat to low and cover until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes (quinoa is done when the “tails” come out). Set aside and cool.

2.     In a small bowl, add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, cumin, paprika, chipotle pepper and whisk to blend. Toss with quinoa.

Add mint, parsley, scallions, and tomatoes to quinoa. Toss to blend. Set aside for at least 1/2 hour to let the flavors meld. Season with more salt if needed. If not serving immediately, store in refrigerator no more than 2 days. Serve room temperature or cold.

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[1] High end dining – we’re talking Michelin starred restaurants – are fairly good at dealing with vegan requests. The only exceptions I can think of it the omkase menu at LA’s Urasawa and at any of the Momofuku restaurants (Ma Peche, Momofuku Noodle Bar, Momofuku Ssam Bar, etc.) I guess the logic is that if you are paying 200 dollars a person for dinner, you might as well get anything you damn please – including a vegan dinner.

[2] Greg Schlick and David L. Bubenheim. “Quinoa: An Emerging ‘New’ Crop with Potential for CELSS,” NASA Technical Paper 3422, November 1993: 1.

[3] The popularity of quinoa has been cause for some concern for those interested in food culture preservation and history. After the Spanish conquest of Incan territory, the Conquistadores discouraged the cultivation of quinoa, as it was a symbol of pagan, “Indian” rituals and practices. But now, quinoa’s popularity as a “superfood” has boosted the economies and living standards of rural farmers in the Andean highlands. However, this comes at a price. The increasing demand for quinoa, especially by health-conscious Westerners, has evaporated the local market for the grain: it is simply too expensive for Bolivians for everyday consumption. The Conquistadores have come back again – now in corporate form. See  https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/americas/20bolivia.html?pagewanted=all

It's Not About the Sprouts

 

“Of course we are challenging nature itself, and, it hits back…. We have to accept that it’s much stronger than we are.”

- Werner Herzog (German Filmmaker on filming of Fitzcarraldo)

            In Berlin, where I live, the evidence and fear are everywhere. It’s the talk of the town. Our local beer garden has stopped serving salads, with our waitress apologizing profusely for the “E-Ha-E-Ce Ausbruch.” My grocer has placed several notices by the supposedly offending produce, lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprouts, indicating the risk in eating such produce. And at Berlin’s famed market at Winterfeldt Platz, piles of vegetables are rotting in the sun as produce dealers give exasperated sighs and lengthy explanations as to the source of their goods.  And in a bit of gallows humor, a friend has been gloating that he can finally eat all the sausages he wants, because vegetables are going to kill him.

            German newspapers are trying to keep up with the rumor, innuendo, and the latest update on the enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (“EHEC”). Seven killed. Nine killed. Five hundred infected. First Swedish death. Nineteen killed, two thousand affected. Russia ban on all EU produce. 4 Americans contract EHEC. Thirty-one deaths.  First it was lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers. Then it was Spanish cucumbers from Almería and Málaga. Then it was organic Spanish cucumbers. Then bean sprouts from a farm in Lower Saxony. And now it’s a cucumber found in a compost bin in Madgeburg. Is it an old strain? A new strain? Mutant strain? Is it from over-use of antibiotics? Is it pesticides? Is it from cows? From humans? Is it because of genetically modified foods?

            In Germany, unless you have been hiding under a rock, you know there has been an epidemic of food-borne illnesses caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) O104:H4, the worst being the life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (or HUS), which compromises kidney functionality.

            The cause is still under investigation, after 5 weeks since the first cases were reported in Hamburg and the northern-German states of Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. There have been lots of suspects, including that of Spanish cucumbers and bean sprouts, however there has been no definitive evidence as to the exact food source of the outbreak. And one German health official admitted, “…it is possible we shall never be able to identify the source [of the E. Coli].”[1]

            Of course this is not for lack of trying. Since the first case came to German public health officials’ attention on May 2, there has been a frenzied search by German health authorities, hospitals, epidemiologists and scientists across the Germany and the European Union to find the smoking gun. While many countries, most notably the US, have had E. coli scares and outbreaks before, the World Health Organization has even admitted that this particular strain has never been recorded before. And some have even suggested that the scope and the breadth of this particular outbreak may be unprecedented in Europe.

            But the blame game has already begun. German citizens are blaming the Robert Koch Institute (the German equivalent to the US Centers for Disease Control), local health authorities, German Ministry of Health (“Bundesministerium für Gesundheit”) and the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (“Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz”). German government has blamed Spanish agricultural practices. Spanish government blames Germany’s poor crisis management. France and other member states have blamed Germany and Spain for lack of transparency. Vegetable farmers accuse health officials for libel and lost revenue. US’s CDC criticized the German antibiotic therapies for E. Coli as a catalyst for HUS.

            And sadly, after this episode comes to an end (if it ever does), we may be none the wiser.

            Everyone seems to be missing the point. What is happening here in Germany can and will happen in other places. This is not just about sprouts. Or Spanish farmers. Or government agencies, Or food processors. The whole food system that has to be examined and reformed. If there is anything we can learn from this tragedy is that food systems are no longer local. We have apples from South America; we have shrimp from Vietnam; we have cheese from France. There is no ONE global agency responsible or accountable for the safety of our food supplies. We are completely dependent upon state and local entities to safeguard our food system, but they are riddled with holes: overlapping responsibilities, non-coordination across agencies, agency infighting, competing public and corporate interests, poor enforcement, and no money. No political will. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.[2] [3]

            If anger and indignation were solutions, I’d be a policy genius. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t work that way. I do have some concrete suggestions that might prevent future tragedies like this from happening.

1.     Countries need to give food safety and consumer agencies the necessary enforcement power to oversee food production at ALL levels – from farm to fork. This means more money, more agents, more inspections, because right now, these agencies have too little to work with.[4] This is especially true in the US, China and other developing nations with large agricultural trade interests (Brazil, Argentina, Uganda, Morocco, etc.).

2.     There is need for an international agency or consensus on food safety standards with enforcement power. Food distribution chains have become global, however, the safeguards needed to oversee them have not. The World Health Organization and the International Organization for Standardization have given guidelines to food safety, however they are basic in nature and are NOT enforceable. An international agency with enforcement power could monitor food safety issues across borders, instead of depending upon individual countries to safeguard their food supply. Countries have their own political interests in defending their food products – consumers across the world don’t.

3.     There needs to be more transparency in the food system. Period. Consumers should know where their food comes from, how it was produced, and in whose hands it was passed through before it gets to their table. If that means a label, sign or an independent 3^rd party inspection, then so be it. Currently, consumers have very little information regarding the pathway from farm to plate (unless they grow or slaughter or gather your own food). In the end, it is the consumer that has to bear the consequences for faulty food safety practices – why shouldn’t they be the first to know where their food comes from?

Food borne illnesses are entirely preventable. Human nature, unfortunately, is not. Let’s stop the blame game. Blame doesn’t save lives. Action and accountability do. Let’s try not to screw it up this time.

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[1] See EU Ministers to meet on E. Coli Outbreak, Al Jazeera English, 7 June , 2011. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/06/20116771510528902.html

[2] This is not to suggest that it is all government’s fault. Corporations, agri-business, and multi-nationals are also to blame. But we also have to look at ourselves. Our need for cheap, fast and convenient food has only accelerated a series of agricultural and food practices that contribute to poor food habits – not just food-borne illnesses, but also obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer – the list goes on and on.

[3] And no, this is just not only in the US. EU and EC agencies are just as problematic. Currently the EU Minister of Agriculture is responsible for both safeguarding the agricultural practices as well as promoting their interests in world trade. (For a while there, the EU Agricultural Minister was also a corporate farm owner…conflict of interest?) Many other countries have the same set of conflicts of interests regarding food, agriculture and consumer safety.

[4] Currently in the US, Congress is determining the budget for fiscal year 2012. The Food Safety Modernization Bill, which was passed with bi-partisan support last year, is getting the ax. The Food Modernization Bill is the first major reform of food safety practices since the 1920’s and gives the FDA power to inspect, fine, suspend and recall foreign and domestic food and food facilities that do not meet safety standards. (See my blog post here regarding the history of food safety and the Food Modernization Bill.)