It doesn't change eating local

Christopher Webber at Carnegie Mellon University is the leader of a study that says eating local does little to combat greenhouse gas emissions. That is significant if you're eating locally primarily to combat global warming, but it is my belief that most folks working on a local diet do so because they want to support local farms, they want to know where their food comes from and what's been sprayed on it, and because they want the freshest products possible.

The study goes on to say that by eating less red meat and more chicken and fish, a family can reduce its carbon footprint much more than by just eating locally. That's all well and good, but the study doesn't calculate additional environmental harm caused by pesticides and growing practices and such used on products from "away".

I wonder what prompted the study to target the locavore movement and not to simply report that the carbon gases released by animals like cows and sheep and from the manure these critters produce is a significant cause of greenhouse gas emissions. The study was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation. One would hope that these government agencies aren't in the pocket of the big farming corporations. Perhaps it's just an unfortunate choice of words.

If you're interested in eating a low carbon diet, EatLowCarbon.org has a calculator you can use to figure your carbon impact.

Menu for "week" of May 8

Last week was so crazy, I didn't get a chance to go shopping, let alone make a menu. We're somewhat back on track for this week but the swapping around of winter gear for summer gear took more time than I thought.

Here's the plan

Breakfast
Bagels
Cereal
Muffins from the bakery
Toasted Coconut Pancakes with Caramalized Pineapple Ginger Compote

Lunch
Onion Tart
French Pasta Salad

Dinner
Lumberjack Hash
Udon Noodles with Chicken and Peanut Sauce
Grilled Flatbread with Garlic Rubbed Fillet of Beef, White Bean Puree and Sun-dried Tomato Chutney

Dessert
Orange Fig Ice Cream

Still more reasons to eat local

As I was looking through the Maine Sunday Telegram this morning there was an article in the first section that made me go "uh.... yuck."

Apparently China is importing fish with salmonella and shrimp with banned veterinary drugs to the US. If that's not sketchy enough, a shipment of "channel catfish" turned out to be something other than channel catfish. There is no record of what kind of fish it actually was.

I thought that perhaps this was an isolated incident but when I did a search for this article so that I could share it, I discovered that this is by no means the first time that this sort of thing has happened.

Ew ew ew ew EW!

The article is on page A5 of the May 4 Maine Sunday Telegram. The Seattle Times also has it posted on their website. Check it out. If it doesn't make you want to know where your food comes from so that you can buy local, I don't know what will.

Lumberjack Hash

This was originally a recipe from Cooking Light Magazine. I've made it so many times that it has mutated away from their original design and become something new. It's also one of those dishes that goes together so quickly that it's impossible to get a picture of it. By the time I think to break out the camera, the hash is gone.

Lumberjack Hash
Quick and hearty, this is awesome for either dinner or brunch.

• 1/2 bag of country-style hash browns or a couple of potatoes, shredded
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• A handful of white mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/3 lb of low-sodium ham, chopped
• a handful of shredded cheddar
• eggs
• olive oil
  

Heat olive oil in a skillet then add the potatoes. This process works best when the potatoes are spread across the pan and left to brown on one side. After 5 to 7 minutes, flip the potatoes over to brown on the other side and add the mushrooms, onions and red peppers. When the potatoes are browned and the veggies are just starting to get soft, toss in the ham and stir to heat. Add the shredded cheddar to the top of the hash and let melt, then divide between two plates.

Cook your eggs to your liking. I like over easy, but you could poach or scramble them if you like. Put eggs on top of hash and serve with a warm biscuit or toast.

Menu for "Week" of April 24

Two days in the 80's and all the snow is magically gone. Ok, not all the snow is gone, but I can get to my grill now. To celebrate, this week's menu is very grill-centric.

Breakfast
English Muffins
Smoothies
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Buttermilk Scones

Lunch
Chicken, Bacon, and Avocado Sandwich with Monterey Jack Cheese and Lemon Pepper Mayo
Cuban Sloppy Joes

Dinner
Lumberjack Hash
Salmon with Spinach and Herbed Lentils, and Yogurt Sauce
Kung Pao Chicken
BBQ Chicken Quesidillas with Grilled Tomato Salsa and Buttermilk Dressing
Grilled Flatbread with Garlic Rubbed Fillet of Beef, and White Bean Puree with Old Bay Steak Fries

Dessert
Beal's is open!

Snacks
Apple
Garlic-Dill Popcorn

Pineapple Chicken Salad

Lunch is problematic. There are only so many ham and cheese sandwiches a person can eat in a lifetime before they become incredibly boring. The trouble is, what other options are there? PB&J? Tuna salad? More cold cuts?

There are a ton of really good sandwiches out there, they just need to be discovered. My latest lunch discovery is Pineapple Chicken Salad from Cooking Light magazine. The original recipe contains nuts. Since Husband is allergic, I changed it up a bit. I was skeptical of pineapple in chicken salad, but it turns out that it's really, really good.

Pineapple Chicken Salad
Originally from Cooking Light.com magazine. Really good with some crunchy chips.

• 1 lb cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• Dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
• garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
• 4 (6-inch) pitas, each cut in half
• Romaine lettuce

I like to boil the chicken breast for this recipe, but you could grill it if you like. Shred chicken into salad sized pieces. Toss in carrots, scallions, celery, and drained pineapple. Mix in mayo, yogurt, worchestershire, and seasonings. Refrigerate overnight and serve in pita pockets with romaine.

Catching up with some recipes

Having finally made the time to upload a dearth of food photos, the choices of where to start writing about my recent culinary exploits are many.

Since it's breakfast time (it must be time for breakfast somewhere in the world), I'm going to start with one of my favorite summer treats, the smoothie. Yes, yes. I realize that it's not summer yet but if the kids at the store can wander around in shorts and short sleeve shirts, I can make smoothies.

I've been in the mood for fresh juice products recently, especially ones without high fructose corn syrup. Since The Maine Squeeze Juice Bar is all the way in the Old Port and there is a wanton lack of good beverage places in the Windham/Standish neck of the woods, it falls to me to break out the ol' blender and see what I can create.

Smoothies are one of those concoctions that are not so much a recipe as a set of general guidelines. They generally contain a base like yogurt or banana, a selection of fruit like blueberries or raspberries or melon, a cold element like ice or sherbet and sometimes extras like bee pollen, or spirea, or peanut butter.

Some folks make their smoothies with fruit juices. Some people toss veggies into their smoothies. Almost all smoothies have a sweetener of some kind like honey or maple syrup. With a near endless variety of recipes, it can be hard to know where to start.

I have this great idea for making a smoothie flow-chart. It's the kind of thing where you start with a base, decide on your additions and blend them all together to create a new tasty treat. Yeah, ok. I don't have the time to do that right now, but I think it's a good idea and I think that folks would find it useful. Ok, I would find it useful, but when it's done, I'll post it anyway. Everyone should be able to create yummy, semi-frozen, tasty treats right from the comfort of their own home.

The pictured smoothie idea started with a Martha Stewart.com recipe. To be honest, I chose this one not because it sounded the best, but because I liked the look of the smoothie in the picture. Of course, I messed with the ingredients but only because I couldn't find Wyler's blueberries at the grocery store.

Mixed Berry Smoothie
Original recipe inspiration from Blueberry Breakfast Shake at MarthaStewart.com. I opted to use frozen berries instead of adding ice cubes. The smoothie was much thicker when made this way, but lacked that frozen drink quality that is sometimes preferred.

• 1/2 cup plain, fat free yogurt
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 3 tbs honey
• 1 cup mixed frozen berries, still frozen

Put the ingredients in a blender in the order listed. Blend until smooth. Makes enough for 2. Straws encouraged.