on sauerkraut and kimchi

I love Sauerkraut and Kimchi.  Both are simple and cheap traditional cabbage based fermented foods, the first from northern Europe, the other from Korea.  Fermented foods in general are enormously healthy because they replenish your gut system with beneficial bacteria - and a healthy gut is prerequisite for a strong immune system (see an earlier post on fermented foods). While you can easily buy them both, beware of Sauerkraut (and pickles, for that matter) made with vinegar or the cooked canned version, and Kimchi with MSG (must read the labels!).   Sauerkraut and pickles in vinegar are not fermented and therefore do not have the beneficial bacteria we so need!  The sour taste of inauthentic mainstream Sauerkraut (or pickles) comes from the vinegar used for ease of manufacturing in an industrialized process.  And MSG is definitely not something you would want to eat - follow the link for more information if you don't know already.

So why not make both yourself?  It is so easy, quick, satisfying and fun (the pounding part of Sauerkraut especially).   I save large wide-mouth glass jars for storing them.

Sally Fallon's Sauerkraut has exactly three ingredients (cabbage, salt, whey), or four if you like caraway seeds in it.  I am a purist and prefer it without.  Saveur magazine dedicated a whole issue to Kimchi a few years ago since you can make Kimchi (like pickles) with just about any vegetable, and you can become more or less sophisticated with your ingredients.  But start nice and simple (follow the link to an easy recipe) and see whether you like the process and the result.

To the good bacteria!

local food relationships

In other parts of the world, whether Europe, Asia, South America or Africa, farmers' markets that sell fresh fruits and vegetables, but also meat, dairy, bread, spices and condiments (and kitchen utensils, clothing, and what not) year round, are nothing unusual.  Our local market in Paris, where I grew up, was held three times a week, as is Union Square Market in Manhattan.  Here in the US farmers' markets are relatively new, as is the entire foodie movement in general, and markets are mostly held once a week during the growing season.  Yet, the whole food movement has taken root quickly and with a vengeance.  People now love to know where their food comes from. Beyond the farmer's market a CSA (community supported agriculture), basically a subscription to a portion of the farmer's harvest, is a great way to get to know your local farmers, invest into their crop for the season and reap the benefits.  While produce CSAs are the most common, some CSAs also offer flowers, fruit, honey, eggs, even meat.  A few farms in the immediate area that do CSAs are Rogowski Farm, High Breeze Farm and Bialas Farms, to mention just a few.

348s

I buy as much as I can locally.  Many of our eggs come from a friend who has chickens and sells her surplus during the warm season, but also from High Breeze Farm (although they run out of eggs so quickly I can't get there fast enough much of the time).  Honey I buy in 5lb jars from a local potato and onion farmer who is also a beekeeper.  Some of my meat comes from a young professional couple who started raising their own chickens and hogs at their farm Hickory Field a few years ago to assure high quality meat, and who dream of making a living at it in the future.  I get beef, some pork, as well as maple syrup from High Breeze Farm, and raw milk from Freedom Hill Farm.  And until recently we even had our very own cheese maker in the area, Bobolink Dairy, who unfortunately moved away.

Then there are farm-to-table restaurants, which are either farms that also run a restaurant (in our direct area Rogowski's once-a-month Field to Fork Gourmet Supper Club comes to mind), or a restaurant that grows its own produce, and even its own meat, such as the Stone Barns research center in Tarrytown, NY with its fabulous Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant.

And if all of that does not get you in touch intimately enough with your local farmers now there are entire communities built and centered around a working farm, called agrihoods, as the NY Times reported.

Of course there is still your local seasonal farm stand for spur-of-the moment drive-by buying if you don't want to commit to a CSA for the season.  But if you would like to try a CSA now, in early spring, is the perfect time to scout out your local farms and find out who offers what.

the flat earth syndrome

Heretics are out-of-the box thinkers who challenge culturally accepted beliefs (dare I say dogma?).  More mildly we may call them activists.  A big historic idea challenger for example was Galileo Galilei, who determined that the sun is at the center of our solar system, not the earth.  And remember that before him we believed the earth to be flat.  The way we think about things stays around for a few centuries, even millenia, then cultural beliefs change again. I believe that we are currently going through such a big belief shift right now.  On the one hand we have our currently accepted paradigm - scientific materialism with its glorification of science, that's been around for the past 300 or so years -, on the other a more balanced and holistic view is wedging itself into our culture.  This 'holistic' paradigm recognizes the unseen aspect of life - emotions, beliefs, stories, spirit, consciousness -, and integrates it into our world view for a more complete picture.

Many scientists and thinkers fight this holistic view tooth-and-nail (how about Richard Dawkins?).  However, I believe the holistic approach leads to a deeper, more satisfying, more encompassing, more complex, more sustainable and more compassionate life.  A marriage of science and consciousness offers us far better options than one without the other.

Take the reductionist scientific understanding of nourishing ourselves, now called nutrition, as a composite of quantified nutrients and calories that fuels that engine of a human body.  In juxtaposition, we can look at food from the holistic perspective as nourishing mind, body and spirit by way of appreciating it, celebrating it, healing us, bringing us together, growing and creating the best of it.

It is good to be aware of our beliefs and our culture's beliefs and to inspect them periodically.  Also reread a previous post on The Great Transformation.

are accidents really accidents?

Someone in my larger circle of acquaintances hated her job and "needed a break."  Guess what happened next?  She broke her ankle and was out on surgery, in a wheel chair, then physical therapy.  She really got her break.

So are accidents really "accidents?"  Do they rain down from the sky haphazardly to the unlucky, or is there more to it?  I realize that some people may be hard pressed to take full responsibility for what is happening to them and considering the possibility that they create their own experiences.  My pet peeve is the lawsuit against McDonald's a while back, when the company was sued by someone who suffered burns when spilling hot coffee all over herself.    Was it really McDonald's fault because the coffee was too hot?  Or was the woman perhaps clumsy or distracted?  So much in our culture is a reaction to avoid taking responsibility.

Henry Grayson, the psychologist who recently wrote Use Your Body to Heal Your Mind, recommends inspecting what an affliction (this word is more encompassing than "illness") either prevents you from doing or permits you to experience.  In the case of my acquaintance the ankle break permitted her to take needed time off from work.  A cold, flu or stomach bug gives your body and mind time to rest (remember - from all the people exposed to the same virus not all get that flu or stomach bug - mmmmhhhh, why is that?).  Also consider that any affliction lavishes you with other peoples' compassion, kind words and care - something we all love to experience, and some people sadly might perhaps only experience when they are sick.

What about other kinds of accidents?  Some accidents may prevent you from driving for several weeks, some may prevent you from using your hand for a while.  These consequences may have particular meaning to you if you ponder your circumstances.  Or they may not and might be karmic.

In the end we all have to come up with our own answers to these kinds of deep and big questions, and those answers are usually very personal.  But they are worthwhile pondering.

lightbulb 101

As the traditional pear shaped incandescent lightbulbs are being phased out altogether (2009 in Europe, 2014 in this country), LED lights are pushing in and will eventually eclipse even fluorescents, compact and otherwise.

Just from a lifespan perspective the difference is staggering.  Conventional incandescents last about 1,200 hours (about half a year at an average conservative use of 6 hours per day), halogens 2,000, compact fluorescents about 8,000 hours (about 3.5 years), linear fluorescents about 20,000 hours (about 9 years), while LED lightbulbs last a whopping 50,000 hours (yep, that's 23 years!!!!!).

halogen

Yes, LED lightbulbs cost a lot more, at least right now.  But that's an initial investment that pays in the long run and drastically reduces your electric bill and maintenance costs.  On top of that LEDs use only about 1/10th of the electricity of that old lightbulb and 1/2 of that of a CFC (compact fluorescent), so the light output of a 50W incandescent can be replicated with an 8W LED - see comparison chart - and they are less toxic for the environment.

compact fluorescent

That's what an investment is - a higher upfront cost for a later gain.  When we buy organic food or grassfed or pastured meat we make an investment into the health of our body via the higher upfront cost of the healthier meat.  Same with LED lightbulbs, we make an investment into a lower electric bill and a reduced lightbulb replacement cost (and ultimately a reduction on fossil fuel consumption).

Imagine not having to change a lightbulb for another two decades?

bring your own bags

I have never liked the ubiquitous plastic shopping bags the supermarkets and other big box stores almost force on you.  They fly around parking lots on a windy day and end up in shrubs and trees as well as in our oceans (have you heard of the Pacific trash vortex?  what a mess!).  And even though I save those few I do inevitably end up with in my kitchen cabinet with the other recyclables I mostly have no use for them. People have become more aware in recent years for sure, what with all those bags made from recycled plastic bottles you can get at every supermarket (but they don't wash well).  In Europe it has always been customary to bring your own shopping bag, net or basket.  In more recent times plastic shopping bags, at least in Germany, have become so expensive to buy (they don't hand them out for free over there) that it has drastically curtailed the use of them.  California may soon become the first state in this country to ban this environmental scourge, as the NY Times reported a few days ago.

some of my bags

I use machine washable canvas shopping bags of which I bought a whole bunch many years ago, as well as a really neat bottle carrying bag (it fits nine bottles).  I usually have a few in my car, just in case.  Traditional woven shopping baskets are no longer very practical because they are bulky and you can't fit a lot into them.  Mesh shopping bags, on the other hand, fold up so small you can always carry one in your bag for unforeseen purchases.

We begin to become environmentally aware in baby steps.  This is one way to start.

glorious color

I love color.  Color in food, color in clothing, color on my walls, color out in nature.  Color makes life sparkle.  Many years ago I tried that architect-designer look wearing lots of black.  But that's stark.  When my son was little the clothing choices for boys in the mainstream stores were pretty much limited to grey, blue and brown - how drab. Of course, color exists only in contrast to black/white, so we need the drabness, the starkness, the dullness to appreciate color all the more.  I think that's why people in cold climates expand in their beingness and start to breathe again when spring comes around, when all that brown-grey-white drabness explodes into greens and pinks and yellows.  It is so joyful.

The other day we got blue potatoes from our food coop.  Besides all the added antioxidants compared to white potatoes (although I simply bought them for variety), they looked so pretty on the table.  Children often like the safe beige-brown diet (bread, noodles, potatoes, meat).  I say I want color on my table.

DSC00192

I also want color in my wardrobe.  While red is my favorite color of all, I also love all greens (from Kermit green to a light limy green), all jewel tones (purple, burgundy, burnt yellow, orange, olive green), and creamy yellows. 

Live a little, make a splash, bring some color in your life, it makes life more cheerful.

locavorism

Perhaps you have heard about the term locavorism, buying your groceries from within a 50 miles radius of where you live and in season in order to cut down on your carbon footprint (another one of those "green" terms).   Buying produce locally is a challenge when you live where the growing season stops for several months (more on that in Barbara Kingsolver's delectable book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle). What I have been able to buy locally year round for years now are honey, eggs, milk and meat.  So many people in our area are keeping chickens that I am able to buy my eggs from a friend down the road and a nearby farm.

DSC00179

Same for honey (when we are not keeping bees, which is a whole other story).  I get it in 5lb jars from a local beekeeper, who processes it minimally.  With all the well publicized bee problems his bees have remained healthy without much interference and "bee management."  We use a lot of honey as a substitute for sugar - in the hot chocolate I make for the kids in the morning, in cooking and baking, also drizzled over yogurt, pancakes, fruit salad or ice cream. 

Our raw milk comes from one of the two approved farms in our county.  Several families have gotten together and we take turns picking the milk up each week for the group.

DSC00181

Finally, the meat - I buy almost all our meat in bulk from two local farmers and keep it in our large chest freezer in the basement. 

Bulk purchases require different storage strategies than weekly small scale supermarket shopping - you need pantry and freezer space.  It also requires a cash outlay.  In addition, I had to learn to plan ahead.  My chicken farmer for example asks me in the spring how many chickens I want to pick up in June to last me through the summer, and they ask me in June how many I would like in September to last me through the spring.  With regard to the milk I drop my empty jars off each week for the following week's order, so I have to plan a week ahead for the family's milk needs (it doesn't always work out if I decide to make ice cream or panna cotta or something else that requires lots of milk).

Something to consider.  Also look at a previous post on bulk produce shopping.

spice up your life

Spices have healing powers besides making food so much more interesting.  During the Middle Ages, when spices first made it to Europe from the spice islands, they were rare, exotic, cherished and very expensive.  Thus they were surrounded by an aura of far-away-lands and saved for special occasions. It's been said that people who like hot and spicy foods have a zest for life, and that people who prefer bland foods prefer a more unexciting life.  The Indian cuisine has perfected the use of spices and developed world famous spice mixtures such as curry and garam masala.  The North African spice mixture harissa is another example of a widely known spice mixture.  Usually each cook blends her own so that no two curry or harissa mixtures are alike.

Spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cumin, especially in combination with garlic and onions, also all chili powders, are known to kill bacteria and are commonly eaten in warm climates to safeguard against the possibility of potentially slightly spoiled foods.  In Indian cuisine the spices are sautéed in oil or ghee to develop their flavors before vegetables or meats are added.

I buy spices in bulk, 1lb bags of organic spices from the food coop, and keep surplus in the freezer or share it with other coop members.  Why not spice up your life?

heart stuff

"All spirituality is is the path of the heart," says Marianne Williamson. On this Valentine's Day, day of love and day of hearts, let's remember that no amount of material things (diamonds, chocolates, flowers) can replace true expressions of love.

What might those be?  Expressions of love come from an open heart.  A few examples are speaking kind words you really mean ("You always look so pretty,"  "I couldn't have done a better job."), empathetic gestures (a slight touch on the arm, a sweet kiss, a long warm look), encouragement ("I knew you could do this"), true compassion (being a good Samaritan), wanting to be of service ("May I show you how to do this?" or "Is there any way I can help?").

Opening your heart opens your mind and opens your life.  So let's try to be a little spiritual today.