Tuscaloosa Food Summit

I am trying to organize a food summit for the fall here in Tuscaloosa.  If you are interested in reading about this have a look.  An informational and forming meeting is taking place at Grace Aberdean - Habitat Alchemy at 2124 9th Street in Tuscaloosa tonight at 6:30.  Here are my remarks for tonight. (if you come you will get to hear me read a version of this - bonus!)  We will have a meeting on campus in a few weeks depending on how this one goes tonight.

The decision what to eat can be one of the most private and personal of human experiences.  At the same time, almost no one eats food that they are solely responsible for making, growing, finding, or cooking.  Personally, I recall being a child and eating meal after meal of highly processed food.  Our food came from a freezer in Sam’s club.  At the same time, I can also remember going to visit my grandfather’s house and picking most of what we ate out of his garden.   So what happened in a few generations? 100 years ago, almost everyone in this country was responsible for making a substantial part of their food.  With the industrialization and commoditization of our food chain, we have allowed business and government policymakers to take control of what we eat, how we eat, and where we eat it.  Many of us feel that some incorrect decisions were made along the way and substantial change must occur. Some statistics that I find interesting along these lines:

According to the CDC, 1 out of every 4 children born in the year 2000 or later will get diabetes in their lifetime.  For African- Americans and Asians born after 2000, specifically, that number jumps to 1 in 2.

For the first time in over 50 years we have seen a decline in the life expectancy though the CDC says that is not a trending occurrence.

1 in 8 Americans rely on Food banks or similar assistance for their groceries or food.  Of those 40% have full time jobs.

Over 1/3 of all Americans are obese.  Over 2/3 of all Americans are either overweight or obese.  2 out 3.

That obesity rate is even higher in lower income citizens.

In Birmingham, a person living in Ensley without a car has to take 2 buses and spend more than 3 hours round  trip to buy what most would call even decent food.

If you go to the cancer.org website and read about nutrition, you will see that about 70% of the space in your grocery store is out.

We subsidize the production of a few crops building mountains of corn that ends up in most of that 70% of the grocery store space. 

3 companies – Monsanto, Dupont, and Syngenta own over 47% of the world seed patents.  They own even seeds they had no part in creating.  If your field that is next to one planted with their seed gets contaminated, you pay the price.

We talk about making cheap food available for all but ignore the externalities that abound from this food in terms of much higher health costs, social and environmental costs, and a reduction in our general quality of life.

On the other hand, the prevalence of farmer’s markets has made them almost ubiquitous in most communities at least one day of the week.  Even the white house has a garden.  We have seen even Wal-mart get into organics and move to offer more locally produced food.   There is certainly a lot to be excited about.

 

This is an event for the community.  I think the food summit model of a one-day conference with a day of classes and tours is the right style.  But that should be discussed.  One person cannot make something like this happen.  There are many, many things that need to be addressed. If you would like to help, let me know.

Email mdlawrence@crimson.ua.edu
Phone: 205-936-6120 


Here is an itenerary that of what I woul like to see happen.

Breakout Session and Panelist Topics

Ø   - The Health Benefits of Eating Organically Produced Food

Ø   - The Complete Cost of Food (a discussion of the economics, social implications, health consequences, and environmental impact of eating from the modern food supply system)

Ø  - Monocultures and the concerns over the reduction of biodiversity

Ø  - Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture

Ø   - Seed banks, Genetically Modified Food, and the Patenting of Seeds

Ø  - Food Banks, Food Security, and Food Deserts

Ø  - University of Alabama Dining, Campus Farm?, Campus Composting?

Ø  - CSA’s and their role in sustainable agriculture

Ø  - The Slow Food movement

Ø  - The Role of Faith Based Initiatives in Sustainable Food

Ø  - The Future of Urban Farming – Vertical Farming, (http://www.verticalfarm.com/) The Hantz Farm of Detroit (http://www.hantzfarmsdetroit.com/introduction.html) Jones Valley Urban Farm

Ø  - How can business be part of the solution?  - A sustainable food supply chain, The Stonyfield Story, Net Impact (http://www.netimpact.org/)

Ø  - The Grocery Gap – The work of Social Compact (http://www.socialcompact.org/)

Tours/Events

Ø  Snows Bend Farm

Ø  The Druid City Garden

Ø  The garden at Canterbury Episcopal Church

Ø  Any others that would like to host

Ø  Taste $2.78 – an invitation to Tuscaloosa’s chefs to prepare their best, healthy meals for the cost of a school lunch

Ø  Classes

Ø  Canning/Cooking raw vegetables

Ø  Bread Making

Ø  Home yogurt and cheese making

Ø  How to start an organic garden

Ø  Composting

Oven Beef Roast

 

 While the deathly crush of winter continues, I must make with the protein posts.  I am looking forward to an excellent spring and summer.  But for now, it’s all about roots, meats, and dairy.

Roasts are one of my favorite things to make especially when it is cold outside.  They are easy, taste great, make your house smell awesome, and leave plenty of leftovers.  I actually do not own a crok pot currently so I just use my oven but you can do this in a crok pot on low for 7 hours instead if you want.

This basic recipe is for beef but can also work with a few changes for a pork roast (Boston butt, etc).  If you are doing a pork roast that is fatty, you can leave out the broth and veggies and just salt and pepper it fat side up.  It is fine to do it with chicken broth if you want the veggies but it will work without it too. If it is lean pork use chicken broth and add Thyme and/or Sage as well if you like.

Ingredients

1 roast

Potatoes – At least enough to fill up a cereal bowl

Carrots – as many as you like (the ones pictured came out of my garden in  January!)

Onions – at least one but up to two medium onions (white is best but use what you got)

Beef or vegetarian broth (note, if you can freeze and reuse the broth. It will be even better the next time) – I make mine up from dried granules per instructions.  When I get into buying large cuts of meat I will probably start making it but not there yet

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Rosemary (optional)

 

Take roast.  Cover it in salt and pepper.  Cut up potatoes into cubish wedges.  Peel the carrots and cut into whatever size you like.  If the carrots are smaller I tend to just wash them as the skin doesn’t bother me really.  Dice onions.  Put the roast in a pan that can hold up to 2 inches of broth when filled.  Evenly distribute the onions, potatoes, and carrots.  Pour in the broth.  Cover very tightly with aluminum foil a few times to ensure a tight seal.  Heat on 200 degrees for at least 5 hour and no longer than 7 or 8.  I prep this and put it in the oven at lunch on a day when I am coming home for lunch.  It is then ready for dinner when I get back.  Enjoy!

Labneh - our first cheese

Labneh is a cheese made from yogurt. Check out the wiki link for more info. I make this every time I make yogurt.  I cook with it and use in place of Boursin or Cream Cheese as a spreadable cheese. 

So it is time to make that first cheese!

This is so simple and delicious.  I keep saying that but it's true.  I get very busy and in order to be able to eat the way I want to on budget, I have learned to mostly eat food that is simple to prepare.  This is very versatile as well.  You can add whatever flavorings you like.  My favorites are honey/almond, garlic/chive, and lemon/basil.

Whatever you come up with, get it cooked if it is like garlic chive in a little olive oil until it is brown.   I recommend using a food processor to get everything small or you can hand chop it.  An easy trick on crushing nuts is to put them on a counter.  Take a cutting board.  Out that on top of them and smash them up!  The goal is for this to be an oil or the size of dried spices.

Ingredients

1 Mason Jar (or tub) of Yogurt

1 large spoonful of salt (use that kosher if you got it)

Flavorings of your desire

Equipment

Colander – or big strainer

Mixing bowl of some sort

Cloth *

String

 

Pour yogurt and salt and flavorings into bowl.  Stir.  Line a colander with cloth.  Pour mixture into cloth.  Bring four corner of cloth together.  Tie string around the cloth.  Hang it up somewhere to drip.  Put bowl under it.  10 hours later, you got cheese!!

*I have a white cloth that I use only for cheesemaking.  It is not cheesecloth as that is actually too porous.  It is just a large white cloth that is pretty thick.  Keep it clean though.  Hand wash this in bleach water when you are done and air dry after a good rinse.

Fruit Compote

 

This is a versatile delight that is simple and delicious.  

Basically, anything that is sweet and fruity is a version of this.  I typically do this with berries left over from the peach truck this summer or I buy frozen berry mix and make it.

Take fruit – the good, the bad, and the ugly.  This is a great way to save fruit.  If it is starting to go bad you can make this and then freeze it.  It will keep for a while.

Cut into cubes if necessary (like apples or pears, etc).  Put them into a saucepot.  Add water.  Eyeball it.  You want to cover the fruit in water and then add a little but more.  Add sugar.  This is up to you but depending on the fruit (and your audience)  I use anywhere from a half a coffee cup’s worth to 2 coffee cups worth.  Heat on high until it boils.  Turn the heat down.  Mash up some of the fruit with a ladle or fork or whatever is easiest.   If I am doing the berries, I leave it at that since I am going to use it in my yogurt.  If am making an apple compote I will keep cooking until it boils off enough water to thicken. 

This is an easy way to make an awesome pie filling of virtually any fruit.  It would also be great on pancakes, waffles, or crepes.

 

Making homemade Yogurt – the main event

Ingredients

1 gallon of non-homogenized milk or 1 gallon of homogenized milk and calcium chloride to encourage coagulation (you can order this online pretty cheap)

If so – a thimbleful of calcium chloride to a shot glass of water

1 container of plain yogurt with active live cultures (or you can purchase active live cultures online)  I typically use Stonyfield or Dannon in a pinch.

I have used Leener’s a good bit.

Tools

1 digital thermometer – essential for working with dairy

Stainless steel pot that can hold at least a gallon

Whisk

Spoon (steel)

Small cooler

At least 5 mason jars with tops

Sanitizer

Ladle (steel)

Large Funnel

Ice

 First, gather all your tools.  Sanitize them.  If you fail to do this properly you will waste your time or worse get sick.  I either use c-brite sanitizer (after I have some left over from beer making), soak in 1 capful or bleach to 1 gallon of water and rinse thoroughly, or put them all in my 30 quart turkey frying pot in an inch of water and boil it for 5 minutes to let them steam sanitize.  Whichever way you go this is essential.

Next, pour your milk (add you calcium chloride now as well if needed) into the stainless steel pot.  Turn the heat on medium.  Set you digital thermometer for 175 degrees and put in milk.  

 While it is heating (30 minutes to an hour) make sure everything else is laid out and ready to go.  I have a double sink.  I put my mason jars with a funnel in one on the left side and set up an ice bath on the right.  The ice bath will be for cooling down the milk later.  I make sure it is never too deep to get in the pot when I set it down in there.  Also, get a different pot and put about a gallon or so of hot water on about ¼ heat.  You will need this to be 130 degrees later but you will have ice to lower the temperature.

Once the milk reaches 175 degrees, stand near.  Let it get to 185 and immediately remove from the heat.  Set it in the ice bath.  Stir the milk with the whisk until it reaches 138 degrees.  Take it out of the ice bath.  Ladle about 4 ladles full of 138 degree milk into the bowl.  Put in all the yogurt and whisk this up real good.  Pour all that into the pot of 138 degree milk.  Whisk it all up good.  Pour all the milk evenly in the 5 mason jars.  Cap them.  Put them in the cooler. 

Now you want to put them in a bath of hot water for 3 hours at 130 degrees.  Pour the water from the stove in there up tot the lids ONCE you have lowered that water to 130.  Use the leftover ice from the ice bath.  Make sure you pay attention to what time you got that incubating water on the yogurt.  3 hours from them put in the fridge.  Since most yogurts you buy have animal gelatin or pectin added it is thicker.  This will thicken some but not anywhere as thick as what you are used to.  If for some reason your yogurt doesn’t set, you can always make labneh out of it or use it as a drinkable yogurt.  Mine sets about 8 out of 10 times.

 

 

Next post – how to make berry compote to add to your yogurt or pancakes and labneh (my first cheese)

Home Made Yogurt the Prequel

This is one of my staples.  I make this every two weeks and have it for my breakfast.  Consequently, nothing will make you recover faster from a long night out than a glass of stirred yogurt.  I will confess that most of my knowledge came from Dr. Fankhauser's website that I highly recommend if you want to easily get into making cheese.  I do some things a bit differently.  So, why yogurt?  They contain probiotics for one.  Check out Webmd's article on it.  As someone that loves yogurt and wants to eat good on a budget, making it myself just makes sense.  I can make 5 quarts of amazing yogurt for about $10 - that is using $6 milk.  I typically end up having enough yogurt for me and my roommate for two weeks plus a labneh (soft, spreadable, yogurt cheese for the same time period.)  I use non homogenized Wright Dairy milk in my yogurt that I buy at Manna Grocery here in Tuscaloosa.  In Birmingham you can buy it at V. Richard's or Organic Harvest.

Before we get to yogurt, lets get into the economics of milk production.  Skip ahead if this sounds boring.  Like most food from the modern agricultural supply chain, milk has become a highly commoditized product.  That just means that one brand of milk is virtually indistinguishable from the other.  When I was getting my economics degree, most professors used corn as the example of a purely competitive market.  Essentially, farmers have to take whatever price the market (you the consumer) is paying at that time.  This price will be based on supply and demand.  This means that even if you make "better" milk than your neighboring farmer, you will still get market price for it almost all the time.  The only way to make more money is to convince people you milk is better than everyone else's.  Trust me when I tell you, The Wright Dairy's is better.  In this world of basically pure competition, the only way to make a profit (accounting, not economic) is to have the lowest cost.  Since, waste is a form of cost, it is important that you minimize waste.  This means having milk that can be shipped the farthest distance and lasts the longest.  One way that business has met this "challenge" is to homogenize milk.  Essentially, they put milk under enormous pressure to force the fat and water and protein and sugar and whatever else is in the milk to distribute evenly throughout the milk.  This means no cream will rise to the top of the milk.  This means no butter.  This means not very good for making cheese or yogurt really.  There is a work around I will discuss in the next post.  In fact, there are those that believe that many people that thik they have an issue with lactose intolerance really just cant digest this processed "milk"  I have not been able to find any credible evidence that this is true but having had a lot of both I certainly prefer the non-homogenized.  The other issue is pasteurization.  You can do this essentially two ways.  You can heat milk to 160 degrees for 30 minutes (low heat - the way Wright's Dairy does it) or you can Ultra Heat Pasteurize it to 275 degrees for 1-2 seconds (the way most is processed commercially).  When trying to get  a clean break in the curd from the whey, the latter can cause an issue in cheese.  If you are going to make yogurt or labneh it can work but typically not in cheese. All in all, the flavor is just destroyed at these temperatures in my opinion.  I love the thought of tasting the seasonality of what the cows are eating when I drink my milk.  I get that when I drink non-homogenized, low heat pasteurized milk.