We belong to a CSA and get a wonderful box of fruit and vegetables from a local farm all year long, so I haven’t been to our local farmers market in a while.

We decided to go a few weeks ago to pick up some summer fruit and see what else was around and when we got there I was astounded; it was easily double the size of last summer.  There were a lot more booths including one selling grass fed meat, it was wonderful.

One of the long time sellers at the market, Eva, has always had the most wonderful fruit and vegetables.  She and her husband sell everything from peaches and plums to apple and persimmons and they are always wonderful, as well as organic.  This time when we went to Eva’s booth she had ‘Non-GMO’ added to every one of her signs, and was telling all her customers that her produce was Non-GMO.  I was so happy to see that she was making so many people aware of what GMO’s are, to me that’s been a big part of the battle, that so many people don’t even know what GMO’s are.

This past weekend we went back and I gave Eva 50 flyers I had from the Institute of Responsible Technology on GMO health risks. You can get a free copy and you can print and distribute them for free at: http://www.seedsofdeception.com/utility/showPage/index.cfm?objectID=gmfree,5176

Or:

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/documentFiles/140.pdf?

If the download links don’t work, find it here:

http://www.seedsofdeception.com/GMFree/SpreadtheWord/HealthRisksBrochure/index.cfm

So this weeks post is about how powerful it is to educate people about GMO’s. It’s time to let everyone know and get them out of our food supply. We did it with rbGH in milk, we can do it with GMO’s in our seeds and food.

And don’t forget to visit your local farmers market. 🙂

Here’s a great video by Jeffrey Smith about the tipping point and how we can see an end to GMO’s in our food supply.

Read more great, Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-august-27th/

Read more great, Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here:  http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/08/pennywise-platter-826.html

Read more great, Real Food Wednesday post here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/08/real-food-wednesday-82510.html

Grass fed beef is much better for us to eat. Most commercial beef is only raised on grass for a short time (if at all) and then confined and fed grains. Cow are herbivores, and they tend to get sick on a grain diet which then leads to them being given antibiotics, which it seems like we also get through the meat.

Grass fed beef is also more nutritious.  It’s got a lot of beta carotene, vitamins A and E and it’s a natural source of omega 3 fats high in CLA.  CLA  (conjugated linoleic acid) is a good fat that has many great health benefits.  They have been shown to be good for your heart, brain and there are studies showing that they may reduce the risk of cancer. In a study in Finland, women who had the highest levels of CLA in their diet, had a 60 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those with the lowest levels of CLA.  It’s also a leaner meat with a wonderful true beef taste. 

When we first started cooking grass fed beef it was a challenge. As it’s lean it can dry out if you overcook it.  Stanley Fishman’s book Tender Grassfed Beef, link below, made a huge difference for us. Every recipe I’ve tried out of the book has been wonderful and now that I understand how to cook grass fed beef I experimented with this recipe.  It turned out great and is our favorite way to make burgers.

It’s a simple recipe and the measurements are approximate.

1 lb. Organic Grass fed Ground Beef

1/2 – 1 small organic onion

½ tsp. celtic sea salt

½ tsp. organic black pepper

I usually take the beef out of the refrigerator about a hour before I plan to cook it, it makes it easier to mix in the onion, especially if you use your hands like I do.

Grate the onion into a bowl, add the beef and the salt and pepper. Mix well and form into 3 or 4 patties as desires.  You can grill them or pan fry them, about 3-4 minutes per side until they are done to your preference.  They are so flavorful that we don’t eat them on buns; just a little organic Catsup if you like it and they are delicious. Enjoy!

For other great grass fed meat recipes, I highly recommend Stanley’s book, Tender Grassfed Beef.

There’s a link to it, below.

Read more, great Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-august-20th/

Read more, great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here:  http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/08/pennywise-platter-thursday-819.html

Read more, great Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/08/real-food-wednesday-81810.html

I’ve never made duck before but have loved it the few times I’ve eaten it out. I thought it would be hard to make so I was hesitant to try it, but this was fairly easy. I found a great source for pastured skin on duck breast, and made this recipe. It was great and my husband who’s never eaten duck before really liked it as well.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

1 cup organic soy sauce

1 cup Sherry

4 6-ounce pastured duck breast halves – with skin on

12 frozen organic sweet cherries, thawed, halved

1 cup organic chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 cup organic beef stock, preferably homemade

1/2 cup ruby (or tawny) Port

1 fresh thyme sprig

1 teaspoon organic cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water – you could also use arrowroot powder

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) organic/pastured butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, room temperature

Whisk soy sauce and Sherry in medium bowl to blend. Using sharp knife, make diagonal cuts at 1/2-inch intervals in duck skin (not through meat). Place duck, skin side up, in glass baking dish. Pour marinade over. Cover duck with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Bring cherries, chicken stock, beef stock, Port and thyme sprig to boil in heavy medium saucepan over high heat. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 – 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat heavy large skillet – I used cast iron –  over medium heat. Remove duck from marinade. Add duck breasts, skin side down, to skillet. Cook until skin is crispy, about 10 minutes. Turn duck over and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium. Transfer duck to work surface.

Add cornstarch mixture to Port-cherry sauce. Bring to simmer, whisking constantly. Add butter 1 piece at a time, whisking until butter is melted before adding next piece. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice duck breasts thinly on diagonal and fan out on plates. Spoon Port-cherry sauce over duck and serve.   Enjoy!

Read more, great Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-august-13th/

Read more, great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/08/pennywise-platter-thursday-8.html

Read more, great Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/08/real-food-wednesday-81110.html

We bought a peach tree a few years ago.  Last summer we didn’t get any fruit, but this year we got 40-50 small peaches. They were not the sweetest, even when ripe, but they were ours, so I decided to peel and freeze them to use in recipes.  I used sucanat and whole wheat flour and it turned out great.

Filling

3/4 cup organic sugar or sucanat

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

3/4 teaspoon ground organic cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground organic cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground organic nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh organic lemon juice

3 3/4 to 4 pounds organic peaches, peeled with vegetable peeler, halved, pitted, cut into 1-inch wedges

Crumble Topping

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic whole wheat or unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned organic oats

1/3 cup cup sucanat  or organic brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) organic butter at room temperature.

3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Stir flour, oats, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture holds together in moist clumps.

Mix in pecans. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Stir sugar and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in lemon juice, then peaches; toss. Let stand at least 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Set rack at lowest position in oven. Slide foil-lined baking sheet under rack onto oven floor (to catch any drips). Preheat oven to 350°F. Spoon filling into either deep dish pie plate or round deep casserole. Scatter topping over, breaking up large clumps.

Bake pie 30 – 40 minutes. Bake until juices bubble thickly and topping is golden. Cool on rack at least 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.  It’s delicious with homemade whipped cream or raw milk ice cream.

Read more, great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/08/pennywise-platter-thursday-85.html

Read more, great Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/08/real-food-wednesday-8410.html

I’ve made this recipe a number of times now, and it always turns out great.  It’s wonderful served with organic whole wheat (or rice) pasta and organic spaghetti sauce, but they are delicious on their own as well.  It’s fairly quick to make and nice enough to serve to company. Enjoy!

Organic Meatballs

Ingredients

    * 1 pound organic, grass fed ground beef

    * 4 ounces dried bread crumbs – you can use organic whole wheat bread, dried or toasted and ground

    * 4 large organic, pastured eggs

    * 4 ounces whole raw milk

    * 6 ounces grated Romano, Parmesan or a blend of the two

    * 3 ounces grated organic Spanish onion

    * 2 ounces finely diced organic fresh garlic

    * 2 ounces finely chopped organic fresh Italian parsley leaves

    * 2 ounces finely chopped organic fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.

Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper and then sprayed with an olive oil cooking spray. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Read more great, Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-july-30th/

Read more great, Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/07/pennywise-platter-thursday-729.html

Read more great, Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/07/real-food-wednesday-72810.html

Today we have a wonderful guest post by Edwin Shank – Mom

Hello Friends,

Okay, so last week’s Fresh Thoughts on Fresh Food stirred your thinking a little.  Many of you liked it and passed it on to friends, but some of you had further questions… questions particularly about the ‘building of immunity’ approach to health instead of ‘kill all bacteria’ approach to health. Permit me to explain a little further.

As I stated last week, these are my answers, not necessarily the answer or your answers.

Let’s start with an analogy. According to the CDC, there are nearly 3800 drowning deaths per year in USA. That works out to a little more than 10 deaths by drowning per day. For every death caused by drowning there are another 4 near-drownings involving hospitalization, and many times permanent brain damage.

These are sobering facts. This is reality for some families somewhere in America every day. It is only normal for parents and others who care for the health and well being of our communities to ask the obvious question. What can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones from a similar tragedy?

Since all drowning occurs in water, we might quite logically conclude that water is the enemy and that the best preventive would be to prohibit people from getting into water. Make laws. Pass regulations. Establish a Federal Drowning Prevention agency to enforce the laws. The FDP would arrest anyone who dared to violate the law which obviously was established for public welfare.

You see where I’m going with this. The alternative drowning prevention is to learn to swim and to teach your children to swim. The ability to swim makes you and your loved ones practically immune to drowning while avoiding water like the plague only leaves your family more vulnerable. More vulnerable since you can be sure that sometime in your life, in spite of your best attempts, and those of the FDP, you or your children will find yourselves unexpectedly in water without the least idea how to save yourselves.

Swimming does not make one 100% immune to drowning of course, so the FDP will always publicize a few highly emotional stories per year (complete with videos) in which those who were experienced swimmers still drowned. Parents who dared to risk their children’s lives by attempting to teach them to swim could be prosecuted for willful endangerment and their children taken from them. After all, they were willfully, carelessly, callously ignoring data from the CDC which irrefutably documents thousands of deaths per year caused by water.

I know this analogy is not perfect, so don’t drag me through the coals to tell me so, but there are many parallels.

About 5000 people die per year in America of food borne illness. These also are sobering facts.  And it is only normal for parents and others to ask the obvious question. What can we do to protect ourselves?

Many well-meaning people have concluded that bacteria are the enemy and so have set out to kill… set out to sterilize themselves and their environment. Kill all the bacteria! Fight BAC!  Buy Purell… put a dispenser in every room. Get antibacterial soap. Anti-biotics for every sniffle. Outlaw unpasteurized cider. Pasteurize nuts and almonds too. Outlaw raw milk and raw milk cheeses. These foods may contain pathogens!

There is only one problem with these bacteriaphobic actions and reactions. In spite of our best attempts, in spite of living in constant fear of the microbe and in spite of government efforts to pass food safety regulation… If we chose to live this way, we and our children will someday find that a stray bacterium has penetrated into our sterile bubble… and our artificially protected, flabby immune systems will have no defense against it.

The alternative defense against foodborne illness is to embrace bacteria as a part of a larger eco-system within which we humans try to integrate ourselves.  We focus on life instead of killing. Pro-biotic instead of Anti-biotic. This is what raw milk, raw kefir and raw cheese and raw kombucha tea are all about… building immunity and health!  We learn to swim and teach our children to swim.  Instead of fearing the water we relax and enjoy life as God created it!  We embrace living whole foods. Whole foods full of immunity building probiotic bacteria, living foods full of nutrient absorbing living enzymes. Whole living foods full of unadulterated, unprocessed, unmessed-with, cell-nourishing, cell-repairing raw fats and protein.

Only living foods give life. Only living foods full of a diversity of natural microflora from our local, natural environment can provide the education and information that our immune systems desperately need to actually protect us as God designed it.

God has designed the entire eco-system to live in harmony with bacteria. The sooner we drop our hubris and accept this humbling fact the wiser we will be.

God bless you all,

Edwin Shank

FDA Disclosure Statements

•Edwin Shank is an organic dairy and chicken farmer, not a health professional.

•If it is a medical opinion you seek, by all means, call a doctor (maybe two or three!)

•This information is intended to challenge, or even provoke you to explore beyond the conventional food and health system.

•Please Note: Any statements or claims about the possible health benefits conferred by any foods or supplements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

You can find Edwin’s website here:  http://www.yourfamilycow.com/  – new website will be up shortly!

Read more, great Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-july-16th/

Read more, great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/07/pennywise-platter-thursday-715.html

Read more, great Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/07/real-food-wednesday-71410.html

As I’m feeding 3 hungry teenage boys, I look for filling side dishes and this was a great one. I’ve made it a few times now and it’s the most requested dish these days and easy to make as well.  Trader Joe’s has a really nice organic pickle relish and an organic yellow mustard, both were a great addition.

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

* 2 – 3 pounds young organic potatoes, yellow or red,  sliced or cubed

* 2 ribs organic  celery, finely chopped

* 1/2 small to medium organic yellow or sweet onion, finely chopped

* 3 tablespoons organic sweet pickle relish

* 1/3 cup organic, preferably homemade, mayonnaise  

* 3 tablespoons organic yellow mustard

* Celtic or sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Boil potatoes in salted water 10 to 12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the potatoes and spread out onto a cookie sheet to cool quickly, about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, combine celery, onion, relish, mayonnaise and mustard. Combine cooled potatoes with other ingredients.

Mix well and season with salt and pepper.  Chill in the refrigerator until just before serving.

Read more, great Fight Back Friday post here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-july-9th/

Read more, great Wholesome Whole Foods posts here: http://healthfoodlover.com/hfl/2010/07/wholesome-foods-7-july-9th/

Read more, great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/07/pennywise-platter-thursday-78-2.html

Read more, great Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/07/real-food-wednesday-7710.html

I’ve always loved Linzer torte cookies, the buttery, fruit-filled cookies, I had as a kid and these bars are very similar, and even easier to make.  I used organic raspberry preserves but you could use any flavor that you like. 

To toast the nuts, put them on a baking sheet in a 350° oven for 5 minutes. Check if they’re fragrant and lightly toasted, if not give them 2 more minutes. I chopped them in a small coffee grinder but you can knife/food processor chop them as well. They smell wonderful once they’re toasted.

I used a combination of evaporated cane juice and sucanat and I also used half organic whole-wheat flour and half organic unbleached flour. I will try this again with sprouted flour, but as I’ve not made the recipe before I decided to try it out this way first. They were wonderful!

Yields about 48 bars and they freeze well too.

13 oz. (I ½ cup plus 2 Tbs.) organic unsalted butter, room temperature

1-2/3 cup organic evaporated cane juice, rapudura or sucanat

2  organic, pastured eggs

1 lb. (3-3/4 cups) organic unbleached flour or organic whole-wheat flour or a combination of the two

7-1/2 oz. (1-1/2 cups) chopped, toasted organic hazelnuts

2 cups organic raspberry preserves

Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13-inch pan. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar (evaporated cane juice, etc) until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and mix just enough to incorporate. Add the nuts and mix a little longer until just blended.

Press about two-thirds of the mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the raspberry preserves and then crumble the remaining dough on top. Bake for about an hour, until the top is lightly browned.

Read more, great Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-july-2nd/

Read more, great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/06/pennywise-platter-thursday-7.html

Read more, great Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/06/real-food-wednesday-63010.html

Read more, great Mouthwatering Monday posts here: http://asouthernfairytale.com/2010/07/26/peppermint-bark/

This is the first time I’ve ever made cheesecake. I had to try a NY style recipe as that’s where I’m from, and this was a true New York Cheesecake. Delicious and organic too! The original recipe I used did not mention a water bath so I didn’t use one. The cheesecake cracked but was still delicious. It’s even better after being in the refrigerator overnight.  To make a water bath you can put a tray of hot water on the shelf under the cheesecake. I will try that next time.

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ready In: 7 Hours 30 Minutes

Servings: 12

INGREDIENTS:

15 organic graham crackers, crushed

2 tablespoons organic butter, melted

4 (8 ounce) packages organic cream cheese

1 1/2 cups organic sugar or evaporated cane juice

3/4 cup organic/raw milk

4 organic pastured eggs

1 cup organic Greek style yogurt or sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-purpose, organic flour

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.

3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in yogurt (or sour cream), vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.

1. 4.Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking.
2. 5.Chill in refrigerator until serving. Enjoy!

Read more, great Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-june-25th/

Read more, great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/06/pennywise-platter-thursday-624.html

Read more, great Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/06/real-food-wednesday-62310.html

I’ve been buying organic and heirloom seeds for a number of years now. I’ve also been learning to save seeds. As Monsanto continues to be allowed to patent seeds and life it makes it even more important to save seeds.

This year I had joined the Seed Savers Exchange as I read good thing about them in Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable and Miracle book.  I will not join them ever again.  I read a letter from their original founder telling about the people who took over Seed Savers and threw him out of his own non-profit. They are putting every seed in their holding into a seed bank that supplies Monsanto and Syngenta. Basically they’re giving away all the seeds that the members have contributed in good faith to the corporations who are trying to own seeds for profit.

You can read about it here: http://beginningfarmers.org/seed-savers-exchange-the-new-real-story-including-intrigue-deception-the-doomsday-vault-excerpt-of-a-letter-from-its-founder/

So I wanted to share links from some places I’ve used and found that have organic and heirloom seeds.  All of these I’ve either used personally, or had recommendations from other who have used them.

Let’s support the companies who are working to keep our seeds organic and heirloom. There’s nothing better then fruit and veggies fresh from your own garden.

http://www.groworganic.com

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/ 

http://rareseeds.com/

http://www.seedsofchange.com/

http://www.underwoodgardens.com/

http://www.heirloomseeds.com/

Here are some sites that teach about how to save your own seeds:

http://www.seedsave.org

http://www.virtualseeds.com/seedsaving.html

http://perrysperennials.info/articles/saveseeds.html

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/fs/fs220/

Read more great, Real Food Wednesday posts here:  http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/06/real-food-wednesday-61610.html

Read more great, Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/06/pennywise-platter-thursday-6-17.html

Read more great, Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-june-18th/