Jonathan Safran Foer’s new book, Eating Animals, is the talk of the  internet these days.  This is Foer’s first nonfiction work (you may remember Foer from such novels as Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) and it was prompted by two events: the birth of his first child, and the approach of Thanksgiving.  Eating Animals explores the question of how we can sustain the food traditions we grew up with, which often involve eating meat, while passing on the values we have adopted as adults, which may contradict those traditional menus.

Foer’s questions lead him to investigate the food system, and leave him shocked and saddened by the factory farms he witnesses.  In the end, though, Foer does not end up writing a book about hard-line vegetarianism.  He celebrates the few (tragically few) farmers who resist the factory farm system by raising and slaughtering animals as humanely as possible, and he asks us to see the question of meat-eating as a spectrum.  We cannot ignore factory farms, the sheer speed of production (400 cows an hour, a pig every three or four seconds, all at one slaughterhouse) and the sheer horror of seeing these places (this is a family blog, you’ll have to read the book yourself) is literally unimaginable.  But that’s one end of the spectrum, and cutting animal products out of your life entirely is just the other end.  As Foer points out, much of the reason that the factory farm system still thrives is that people feel that if they can’t bring themselves to move to the other end of the spectrum and give up meat completely, they shouldn’t make any changes at all: if they can’t do everything, they feel they must do nothing.  When we make decisions about food, we must do so from the point on that spectrum where we are most comfortable.  Being responsible about food doesn’t necessarily mean giving up meat, or giving up food traditions, Foer argues.  It simply means being aware of the consequences of our choices, and choosing foods and food sources carefully.

Which brings me to something else that’s been floating around the internet lately: these guys.  They’re butchers, in Brooklyn, NY.  Their policy of never wasting a part of an animal has led them in some strange directions, like a “sandwich” with pork tongues instead of bread.  Yeah, it sounds gross, but people seem to love it, and the “no waste” policy and locally sourced meat are a great antidote to factory farms and megachain grocery stores.  They just opened their new shop, The Meat Hook, yesterday, in the same building as The Brooklyn Kitchen (home of some great cooking classes).  It can be tough living in the age of factory farms, simultaneously being appalled at the way meat gets to our plates, and cherishing the traditions in our lives that involve meat (and just liking the taste), but it’s good to know that there are butchers out there who try to take a better approach to meat than fast, cheap, and unethical.

P.S.  If you’re after more blogs about Thanksgiving in these modern times, but with less moral questions, and more talk about quick and energy-efficient ways of cooking a turkey, check this out.

The James Beard Foundation just posted this little ditty about a recipe contest:

Think you’re up to the task? We’re teaming up with the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, the NYC Office of SchoolFood, and Candle Café/79 to develop healthy, plant-based, and meatless entrées to be served at NYC public school lunches. If you’re a restaurant chef and would like to participate, send a recipe to info@healthyschoolfood.org by November 30 .

Delights and Prejudices » Recipe Contest for NYC Public Schools.

Carnitas are delicious.  The pork, the onions, the chiles, all wrapped up in a handy tortilla so you can tote it around in front of your jealous friends.  Want one of these babies for yourself?  Look no further, pilgrim.  Scot Nakagawa, on his wonderful blog, has told us how to make your own.  The Secret is out.

See recipe at link:

san pancho journal: Cooking Carnitas – 2 September 2009.

It’s a rainy day here at What’s On Your Plate headquarters, and that means it’s time to check out Nourish Interactive. Nourish Interactive is a great site all about healthy eating and healthy living for kids. And they have some really cool games! It’s totally free to sign up (kids should ask their parents first) and you get access to all kinds of great stuff. They’ve got games, tons of helpful information for kids, parents, and teachers. Plus tips, tools, and activities for families and educators. Nourish Interactive is all about helping kids get the nutrition and exercise they need, and having fun the whole time!

Summer is fun, probably the best season of the year.  It’s warm enough to go outside, plants are in bloom, especially delicious food-bearing plants.  Summer is about picnics, and summer is about ice cream.  Specifically non-dairy coconut-peach ice cream.  And it just so happens that we have a recipe, as featured in the movie, for…

Non-Dairy Coconut-Peach Ice Cream

Yield:  3 1/2 cups

Soundtrack:  “Sweet Thing” by Chaka Khan & Rufus from Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan

• 3 cups coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 6 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 cups diced fresh peaches

• In a small cup mix 1/4 cup of the coconut milk with the arrowroot to make a slurry.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining coconut milk, agave nectar, and salt with the coconut milk slurry.  Warm until starting to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.  

• Transfer to the refrigerator until completely cold.

• Pour cold mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze creamy, 25 to 30 minutes.  Add the peaches the last minute of freezing.  Transfer to an airtight container and place in a freezer until firm, about 2 hours.

Use locally grown peaches like these!

Folks from the Angel Family Farm CSA tried mashed turnips- their kids loved them (and they swore they hated turnips!). Enjoy!

Mashed Turnip Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 medium sized turnips
• Water
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• ¼ cup milk (regular or soy)

1. Peel turnips, trim ends and cut into quarters. Put in large stockpot, cover with cold water and bring to boil. Boil until fork tender, about 10 minutes.
2. When cooked, pour pot contents into colander to strain. Return empty pot to low heat and add olive oil.
3. Add drained turnips to oil, season with salt and pepper and mash with potato masher.
4. If you don’t have a potato masher, use a blender, food processor or the back of a heavy spoon.
5. (Turnips can also be served quartered at this point rather than mashed.)
6. Add milk and continue to mash until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot. Can be held in pot for an hour or so and re-warmed just prior to service.

We learned about this delish recipe from our friend, the Light Hearted Locavore:

“RUSTIC” Peach Crumble — A Healthy (Juicy and Spicy) Treat
You’ll need an 8×8 pan or a deep dish pie pan (I love my blue and white Emile Henry)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Fruit:

• 2 pounds ripe peaches
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup sugar in the raw
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour

Topping:

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar in the raw
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Remove the peach skins by boiling water and drop several peaches in at a time for 40 seconds, let cool — skins come right off. “Rough cut” the peaches into bite sized pieces and place the chopped fruit into a bowl. Be sure to reserve the juices along with the fruit. Add juice of a lemon right away to prevent the peaches from turning brown.
2. In a separate small bowl blend the 1/4 cup raw sugar and corn starch (or flour). Sprinkle over the fruit, toss gently to coat the peaches. Transfer the peaches to the baking dish.
3. To make the topping combine the oats, flour, sugar, and cinnamon, allspice and vanilla together. Stir in the butter and mix until everything comes together (texture should be doughy). Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the fruit.
4. Place the baking dish on the middle rack, and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the topping is begins to brown.
5. Delicious, and juicy either warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream and or homemade whipped cream.

Health Note:
Peaches provide vitamin A as beta-carotene, some vitamin C, potassium and fiber plus many phytonutrients. Beta-carotene promotes eye health and a strong immune system and phytonutrients (nutrients from plants) contain antioxidants that help your body stay strong. Research has proven that phytonutrients may help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis and eye ailments. Buy organic if you can, as peaches top the latest list of fruits most contaminated with pesticides.

Try out this yummy beet salad recipe from our friend and advisor, Bryant Terry!

• 4 medium beets, scrubbed, tops trimmed, root tails left intact
• Coarse sea salt
• 4 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 12 teaspoon agave nectar
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 3 large bunches arugula, trimmed and roughly chopped (6 to 7 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups candied walnuts

1. Combine the beets, 3 quarts cold water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium pot over high heat. Boil uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the beets are easily pierced with a knife. Drain. Peel the beets by holding them under cold running water and rubbing their skins off with your fingers or a clean towel.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 F
3. Trim the tails off the bottom of the beets. Reserve two of them for the vinaigrette and compost the others. Cut the beets into 1/4-inch dice. In a medium bowl, toss the diced beets with 4 teaspoons of the olive oil. Transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking. Remove the beets from the oven, transfer them back into the bowl just used, and toss with 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Return to the baking sheet and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Set them aside to cool.
4. In a blender, combine the reserved roasted beet tails with the remaining red wine vinegar, mustard, agave nectar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and white pepper to taste. Blend while slowly pouring in 4 tablespoons of olive oil. If needed, add more salt to taste.
5. Place the arugula pieces in a large serving bowl, add the roasted beets on top, and add the candied walnuts on top of that. Immediately before serving, toss well with just enough of the vinaigrette to coat.