Posts from — October 2007

The Harvest may be waning, but these pantry staples can keep you on the road to good health all fall long.

Written by: Cal Orey
Not just for salad or a dash of flavor, items like nutrient-dense vinegars, oils, herbs and spices are also rich in antioxidants and other healing properties. Check out these 20 healthful, slim-down foods to heal body, mind and spirit.

VINEGARS

• Apple Cider Vinegar:  In the era of the Romans and Egyptians, there were many potent vinegars on meal tables. Today, we know apple cider vinegar, especially the natural and organic kind, is high in fiber and rich in potassium, which can help detoxify the body, according to Manhattan-based chiropractor and clinical nutritionist Barry Goldstein. Apple cider vinegar can balance sodium and potassium levels, which can also aid in weight loss. Pairing its total ingredients, including boron, calcium and enzymes, with nutritious fall fruits and vegetables may help prevent cancer, heart disease and bone loss.
• Balsamic Vinegar: In the 17th century, people used it as a gargle, tonic and air purifier against the plague. The word balsamico means balm in Italian, which connotes a healing, soothing medicine. Balsamic vinegar, like its grape-filled counterpart, red wine vinegar, contains powerful polyphenols (compounds that act like disease-fighting antioxidants), according to Leroy Creasy, Ph.D., emeritus professor of fruit and vegetable science at Cornell University College of Agriculture in Ithaca, N.Y. Holistic doctors like Allan Magaziner, D.O., founder and director of the Magaziner Center for Wellness and Anti-Aging Medicine in Cherry Hill, N.J., agrees. He says red wine vinegar may have some disease-fighting antioxidant vitamins that are not listed on its label—and yet can be beneficial to our health and well-being. Antioxidants are believed to prevent cancer and protect against heart disease.
• Fruit Vinegars: In Japan, vinegar drinks, in particular those made from vitamin-rich fruit. are all the rage. A Korean delight, persimmon vinegar, is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which are also good for bolstering the immune system to fight off colds and flu in the fall. While it isn’t easily found in the United States, it may be found at Korean supermarkets. For a delightful kick, splash one or two tablespoons per serving on top of grapefruit and oranges.
• Red Wine Vinegar: According to the Four Thieves legend from the Black Plague, these robbers in Marseilles bargained and exchanged a famous vinegar-based formula for freedom from prison, explaining that they washed themselves with the infection-fighting liquid every few hours. Nowadays, researchers claim red wine vinegar may have a new class of nutrients. UC Davis–California wine chemist Andrew Waterhouse, Ph.D., theorizes that red wine vinegar, like red wine, does contain antioxidants. “The phenols that are in the grapes are probably the best for you.”

OILS

• Evening Primrose Oil: The evening primrose, a plant with bright yellow flowers, is found in dry meadows from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains. It blooms only in the evening, then dies, leaving seed pods that can be used for their healing oil. “Evening primrose oil contains an omega-6 essential fatty acid, gamma-linolenic acid. Some research has found that because of EPO’s potential inflammatory effects if may be helpful for arthritis,” explains Keri M. Gans, R.D., an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman from New York City.
• Fish Oil: Native peopOIle in Alaska and Greenland eat fish oil as a staple in their fatty-fish-based diet. “Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which the body cannot produce. Research on omega-3s from fish oils have revealed it to have anti-inflammatory and other effects that could improve cardiovascular health and help lower triglycerides,” says Gans.
• Flaxseed Oil: Since antiquity flaxseed oil has been noted in folk medicine to help stomach problems, colic and hemorrhoids. The seeds are believed by alternative healers to treat coughs, colds, respiratory infections and urinary tract infections. And there’s more. “Flaxseed oil is considered one of the richest food sources of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and is thought to have beneficial cardiovascular effects,” explains Gans. Plus, this healing oil can be added to cooked casseroles and soups.
• Olive Oil: The olive tree was first cultivated in the Mediterranean countries 6,000 years ago. Since then, olive oil has played a therapeutic role in the diet and provides amazing healing powers, from preventing diabetes to keeping off unwanted pounds, especially when combined with vinegars. Olive oil, which is 74 percent heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, contains plenty of healthful nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins A, C and E, along with phytoestrogens and sterols. Olive oil (extra virgin is recommended) is good for the digestive system, helps regularity, lowers cholesterol levels and guards against cancer.

HERBS, SPICES AND TEAS

• Chamomile: For more than 2,000 years, chamomile, a daisylike plant, has been considered a medicinal miracle. It was known as “ground apple” by the Greeks because of its fragrant scent. Chamomile tea (spiked with apple cider vinegar and cinnamon) can be calming. “Several chemicals in chamomile, particularly apigenin, are known to influence receptors in the brain that induce relaxation, says Southern California’s Ray Sahelian, M.D., who touts drinking herbal teas to prevent colds and flu in Doctors’ Orders: What 101 Doctors Do to Stay Healthy (Kensington, with Cal Orey).
• Cinnamon: Millenia ago, Egyptians used Chinese cinnamon in funeral rites, a tradition later carried on by Egypt’s Roman conquerors. The popular and valued spice was used for both embalming and for preserving meats. According to Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., of Woodmere, cinnamon may help reduce blood sugar levels and help control diabetes. Perhaps it’s a healthy culinary instinct that has led bakers to use cinnamon in sweet concoctions from drinks to baked goods.
• Garlic:  For at least 3,000 years, garlic, dubbed “the stinking rose,” has been used medicinally. The therapeutic uses of garlic have been noted in more than 1,000 scientific studies. Garlic has been found to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, and may ward off infections and cancer via the antioxidant mineral selenium. It also contains allicin, which is a strong antimicrobial, so eating garlic may help protect against colds, flu and bronchitis.
• Ginger:  Four thousand years ago ancient Greeks knew ginger root to be a soothing medicine for the stomach and intestines, relieving cramps and nausea. So, if you are going on a long, leaf-viewing drive this autumn, ginger may be your secret weapon against carsickness. A soothing mug of ginger stored in a travel thermos may help prevent motion sickness.
• Onions: Hippocrates prescribed onions as wound healers and pneumonia fighters. “Yellow and red onions contain powerful antioxidants and an anti-inflammatory agent called quercetin, which may provide relief for sufferers of hay fever and asthma. The sulfur compound in onions lessens swelling, redness and allergic reactions,” notes Taub-Dix.
• Rose Hips: An important staple in the diets of Native American tribes because of their incredible health benefits, rose hips are a good source of antioxidants, including vitamins C, E and beta-carotene, which can help boost immunity and provide relief for cold and cough symptoms common during the fall months.
• Tumeric: This bright yellow spice originating in India contains a phytochemical called curcumin that helps lessen inflammation, which can help relieve aching joints in colder weather. “Tumeric may also support healthy liver function and promote a protective response to environmental stresses,” says Barry Goldstein. You can incorporate it into your own diet by using it to spice up lentils or a vegetarian dish.

Cal Orey is author of A Complete Guide to Nature’s Most Remarkable Remedy and The Healing Powers of Olive Oil: A Complete Guide to Nature’s Liquid Gold (February 2008, Kensington) Learn more at calorey.com

AWESOME AUTUMN EDIBLES
These five versatile foods mix well with vinegars, oils, warming herbs, spices and tasty teas for healthful fall recipes.

• Apples:  This fruit is a rich source of pectin, a water-soluble fiber that may help lower the risk of heart disease. “The fall is a good time to protect your heart in preparation for snow shoveling in the winter,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, an American Dietetic Association spokeswoman in Woodmere. A bonus: One medium apple has no fat and a mere 81 calories.
• Pumpkin: Welcome to a good source of beta-carotene, potassium, vitamins A, C, and dietary fiber, notes Manhattan chiropractor and clinical nutritionist Barry Goldstein. Also, pumpkin seed oil, like flaxseed oil, contains omega-6 fatty acid and is delicious over fruits, vegetables and salads.
• Spinach: A single serving of cooked spinach provides beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Studies show that these carotenes protect the arteries from bad cholesterol and can heal your heart, according to Liz Applegate, Ph.D. author of 101 Miracle Foods That Heal Your Heart (Prentice Hall Press). It’s the perfect fall food addition to a lasagna chock-full of whole grain pasta, onions, garlic and tomatoes.
• Tomatoes: Scoop up the end-of-season tomatoes while you can—these gems are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, and may lower the risk of developing cancers by preventing damage caused by harmful, cancer-contributing molecules called free radicals. One cup of chopped tomatoes has just 35 calories. Because of this, tomatoes are a fat-free and versatile filler in many low-cal meals such as casseroles and soups.
• Turkey: “Turkey doesn’t just have to be for Thanksgiving,” says New York City nutrition consultant Keri M.Gans. Turkey, like garlic, is a good source of the mineral selenium, which clinical studies have found to be cancer-fighting, she adds. “White meat turkey without skin is an excellent source of protein and is naturally low in fat, containing only one gram per ounce,” concludes Gans.

Community-supported agriculture brings farmers and customers together over a weekly crate of produce.

Written by: Jennifer Zeigler

In the spring of last year, Tara Benedetti of Wading River was grieving her husband, a professional French chef who had died in January. Sustaining herself and her two children on unhealthy comfort food, Benedetti made a decision. She joined a community-supported agriculture farm or CSA- something that had intrigued her when her husband was alive but that, after his death, was a move that would change her outlook and ease her grief.

A community-supported agriculture farm sells “shares” of the farm’s produce or other goods to customers at the beginning of the growing season. In return, shareholders get a weekly box throughout the summer and fall full of whatever is being harvested or produced that week on the farm. Benedetti, having learned of the system the summer before, bought into Biophilia Organic Farm in Jamesport. And in doing so, she also found an unexpected link to her husband.

“I had all this stuff, and I felt guilty if it went bad. So I found myself making squash and potatoes and potato-leek soup and looking up my husband’s recipes for some of the things I didn’t know what to do with. And now I just feel so connected to my husband. This has been a really healing process for me,” she says.

Budding Movement
Not everyone buying a share of a local farm will have such a cathartic experience as Benedetti did, but you will get a weekly box of possibly some of the freshest, usually organic vegetables you’ve ever seen and some peace of mind in the fact that you’re helping to keep local farms financially afloat. And the system often becomes more than a business transaction—it helps you forge a relationship with your food and those who grow it for you. Many farms invite members to pick their boxes up weekly, while others drop off boxes at convenient spots for participants. Some offer discounts to members willing to put in a couple of hours of volunteer work. Many farms sponsor open house weekends and theme dinners to foster community spirit among those who have joined.

According to the Robyn Van En Center for CSA Resources in Chambersburg, Penn., the number of CSA farms in the United States has grown steadily over the past 20 years to more than 1,500, with the highest concentration of them in New York State. The center’s namesake, Robyn Van En, then a fledgling Massachusetts produce farmer, is credited with founding the movement in 1986 when she offered a subscription to her farm, although a similar farm in New Hampshire also traces its roots to the same year. CSAs first found their way to the metro New York area in 1991, says Paula Lukats, the CSA in NYC program manager for Just Food, a NYC-based non-profit that places customers and CSAs together. “They grew out of a need for good food in the city and demand,” she says. This year, 18 farms drop off share boxes at 50 sites around the city, and more offer drop-off and pickup sites throughout Long Island.

Growing Mindshare
The growth proves that the idea has taken root. CSA farmers say the benefits are both social and financial. “We found that farmers could have a little bit of stability,” says Maggie Kurek, who owns the Golden Earthworm Organic Farm in Jamesport with her husband, Matthew. Biophilia owner Phil Barbato says he enjoys the community connection he gets with subscription farming. “We’re selling to our neighbors. They come to the farm each week, and we walk around.”

Members agree. Benedetti says she loves going to Barbato’s farm each week to get her veggies. “There are a few things that I look forward to, and for me, it’s that Friday pickup,” she says. “I walk into a barn and my name is on this box. It’s expecting me. I always linger an extra minute and breathe deep.”

Lukats encourages members to spend some time on whichever farm they pick up their boxes. “People tend to have a real reality check when they get to the farm. It’s very powerful. They realize, ‘Wow, it’s lot of work, growing food.’”

Others say they love the element of surprise a CSA share offers the home cook. Golden Earthworm member Elyse Zucker of Williston Park says that finding out what nature produced for her that week forces her to plan meals around whatever is in the box, though for others cyclical, seasonal eating is too restrictive and, in fact, it’s something some farmers caution new members about. Strawberries only last for a few weeks, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Corn doesn’t come in until midsummer, and some things just won’t grow in the humid Long Island summers.

While Kurek enjoys an 80 percent return rate among her members, she says most who leave do so because the system is too rigid—certain pickup days and a take-what-you-get structure to the boxes. “Not everyone is meant to be a CSA member. I’m not sure I would want to be a CSA member,” she says with a laugh. “I think I would rather just go shop at the farmers markets.”

Changing the Plate and Pocketbook
“Belonging to a CSA really changes the way you eat,” says Sister Jeanne Clark, who, along with her fellow nuns at the Dominican Sisters of Holy Cross, operates Sophia Garden, a CSA and education center in Amityville. “You have to work a little more at cooking. But, see, you’re relating to the vegetables that way.”

It’s a concept Biophilia member Chris Fanjul says he definitely buys into. “I love to cook, but I hate to shop. So being forced to use all these vegetables each week, I’m eating so much better,” the Southold resident says. But he still stumbles over the system at times, as he did in August, staring at three crookneck squashes that farm staff suggested stuffing and baking during a week when summer’s heat made the idea of turning on the oven less than appealing. Had Fanjul been more versed in cooking squash he would have realized there were many other uses besides one which required turning on the oven, highlighting that those who are not experienced cooks can have a hard time knowing what to do with their vegetable bounties—particularly if ferreting out recipes is not high on their to-do list.

Potential CSA members should also consider the costs—$400 to $700 for a full share. While it’s usually less than conventional shopping over the long haul, most farms require the full payment up front when their seed and supply costs are greatest, but long before members get to enjoy the first spring greens. And only Mother Nature can guarantee you’ll get a good harvest from the investment. A droughty summer or an insect infestation can mean smaller boxes on pickup days, and while that may appeal to the gambling type, others can’t afford the risk.

But if you think the idea sounds appetizing, or if you spent the summer salivating over your neighbor’s box each week, getting connected with a farm is easy. Several Web sites offer search functions to locate farms in your area and Lukats says Just Food will entertain requests from groups of 20 or more interested in connecting with a local farmer to set up a CSA drop-off site at a workplace in the city.

Sow This Fall, Harvest Next Year
But don’t wait until the start of next spring’s growing season to start finding a CSA. Now is the time to locate area farms and ask them questions about what types of produce they grow. Most start signing up members in January, and by April shares are generally sold out.

It’s also a good time to investigate other types of CSAs, which have begun popping up around the country to augment strictly produce farms. Some CSAs offer fruit shares for an additional charge. Golden Earthworm partners with nearby Briermere Farms to offer a weekly box of seasonal fruits to its customers, for example. Others are experimenting with winter shares by adding greenhouses and growing hardy greens and root crops in cold months. Garden of Eve in Riverhead offers a monthly share box December through March for members who miss the fresh produce once summer’s excess is over. Others offer different extras—eggs and flowers, for example—or partner with local meat producers to offer pasture-raised beef, pork and poultry.

If you start researching now, you’ll be well placed to decide which CSA you want to join come January. And next summer, you’ll find yourself embarking on a culinary adventure since the variety of that weekly box can be endless, and, with different seasons, ever changing. Chris Fanjul is thankful of the day he stopped by Barbato’s farm on a whim and was transformed from supermarket shopper to CSA member. “I feel like I’m incredibly fortunate to have so many local options.

As a publication we have dedicated ourselves to covering issues we feel are important today and will be tomorrow. Issues from land preservation, race relations, healthy eating, local arts and culture. We’ve done all of this while doing our best to avoid any political inferences which we feel might drag us on to a political slope that many others with much greater resources than we have already try to navigate on a regular basis. Indulging in this kind of forum would, we feel, also take away from the larger goals for the publication.

The topic of politics is on my mind, this week my wife Adele has been out of town on business and I’ve had the opportunity to watch a couple of interesting shows. We generally have limited time to watch TV and the watching we do generally results in compromises about which show we watch together, shows about politics are usually not part of any compromise. So, after my son Jake went to sleep this week I watched some TV and caught most of two shows, about politics, before I couldn’t keep my eyes open and went to sleep as well.

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Last Sunday my wife and I wanted to take our teenage daughter and infant son pumpkin picking. Our plan was to go have breakfast as a family but as everyone knows the best-laid plans are changed by life’s realities.

We got off to a late start since my daughter Candice, who had her home coming dance the night before, got in late and invariably wanted to sleep in. We gave her until 9 am and woke her up reminding her of the plan for the day. Candice rolled out of bed, somehow got herself together in 30 minutes and we were ready to roll by 9:30, or so we thought.

My son Jake and Candice are separated by 15 years, so while Candice wanted to sleep in, Jake who’s 15 months wanted to get going at around 6:30. By the time Candice woke up, he had been up for some time and wore himself out. We’d given him a bottle and a snack/breakfast hoping to buy time until we could all eat together.

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Saturday night we hosted our fifth artist reception “Everybody Disco” by Janet Pearlberg. What a great turn out we had and an interesting night it was. Janet’s art is unique and needs to be viewed vs. described. Janet matches her art; she needs to be experienced vs. described. Janet went out of her way to make sure it was a fun opening. I’m not an art expert by any means, but I think this opening was different, it was definetly different from our previous openings.

The night included two DJ’s, balloon figures and a costumed chicken who looked, as one of the other attendee’s noted, more like the yellow Teletubbie. The night move swiftly to the beat of music, alternating between electronica and early 80’s sounds. As you can imagine this level of activity took on somewhat of a surreal feeling at times.

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