#CSAinNYC

I had the great pleasure of attending Just Food's CSA in NYC conference today in Manhattan. I'll be posting a wrap-up of the event as well as some information on the wealth of opportunities for involvement in urban agriculture in NYC.

In the meantime, check out the Twitter feed from the event, #CSAinNYC.

Overall, it was a really informative, really exciting day. Can't wait to share more!

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

This not-so-pretty tomato from our garden became part of an incredibly delicious tomato sauce that accompanied fried green tomatoes.

Organic Soda? Yes, Please!

Hey all (3 readers? maybe less?) I'm back, after a not-so-brief hiatus.

What am I back with? A lucious libation, Blue Sky Organic Soda.

I spent the better part of my afternoon running around with my little brother, stopping off at a local farmers market to stock up on some blueberries from Hammonton, NJ. This is probably the last week for them, as the harvesting season ended last week.

Then it was off to Mazzeo's, a local gourmet grocer & produce store for some feta cheese (to make watermelon salad for dinner), and of course pressure from my little brother to get him something to drink!

That's when I came across Blue Sky Organic Soda, 89 cents for a can. I figured if my brother didn't like it, I could drink it, but he was quite satisfied. He did let me try a sip; we both agreed it tastes like orange soda, without that syrupy undertone. I've given up drinking soda, but I know for a lot of people that could be really difficult. It's nice to find that there is a really tasty, natural alternative to Coca-Cola & Pepsi.

Of course, if you are feeling really adventurous, you could try to make your own soda. There are hundreds of recipes out there ranging from the miraculously simple to the incredibly complex. For starters, I would recommend mixing your favorite sweet ingredients -- pureed blueberries, fresh strawberries, mint sprigs, etc. -- with carbonated water & perhaps a little simple syrup (I make mine from raw sugar).

Don't Worry It's Not Real...Yet.

If you've been on the internet recently, you've probably come across the Candwich, a sandwich innovation with "grab-and-go convenience," and one would imagine, the faint taste of a can and preservatives out the wazoo.

It has actually been in the news because investor Travis L. Wright used funds for real estate investments to finance the Candwich instead. Fraudulent investments aside, Mark Kirkland, president of Mark One Foods, hopes to go into production this year.

So it is entirely possible, that sometime this year or next, you will go to your local grocer and find Candwich on an aisle. I suppose next to the tomato sauce & canned peas? I'm not really sure how you would classify a canned sandwich in grocery store terms. I am sure that these are the kind of products we need less of, not more. If you don't have time to make a sandwich, you need to reevaluate your life.

Zucchini Lasagna

Whipped up a scrumptious zucchini lasagna for the fam a few nights ago. I didn't take any pictures, but here's the rundown:

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Medium Zucchini, enough for two layers in your baking dish
• 3-4 cups Tomato Sauce (you can use your fav, the thicker the better)
• 2 balls no-salt Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• Romano Cheese, shredded (NOTE: don't buy pre-shredded cheese, there are lots of extra ingredients added to prevent drying)
• Sweet Italian Sausage, 6-8 links, remove casings
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Sage, Basil & Thyme (preferably fresh; sliced or torn)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F, and oil a glass baking dish. In a medium saucepan cook sausage, breaking up and stirring frequently. Place cooked sausage in a colander to drain. Cut zucchini into 1/4 inches slices, and line the baking dish. Season with salt, & cover with 1/2 the tomato sauce, 1/2 the sausage, 1/2 the mozzarella slices, and 1/2 the shredded romano. Repeat the layering starting with the zucchini. Top with fresh sage, thyme, and basil. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Raise temperature to 375° F, uncover lasagna, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Zucchini (or any squash), makes a great substitute for pasta in lasagna. I'm thinking of using squash substitutes, especially zucchini because we always grow a lot, for other pasta dishes and maybe in place of bread. I'm having so much fun figuring out new ways to use different foods, I barely miss the things I've cut out of my diet!

Red, White, and Food

Had a quite delicious 5th of July barbecue. On the menu: Grilled zucchini with salt, pepper, basil & oregano; Corn grilled in the husks; Venison sliders & beef sliders, with a homemade burger sauce, on toasted bakery onion or white rolls.

Ground Venison -- lucky me, my dad hunts!

Freshly chopped garlic

Quick & easy sauce, use ingredients to taste:

• Finely chopped garlic & onion
• Balsamic vinegar
• Raw sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt & pepper

Venison burger, ready to grill, with some extra cayenne pepper on top

To top it all off, homemade whipped cream, cherries, and Jersey Fresh blueberries. Very patriotic!

Labels, Labels Everywhere...and Not a Drop to Eat

Once you start reading labels, you realize why you never did. There is definitely truth in the saying ignorance is bliss. Unfortunately, when it comes to food, ignorance can be blissfully dangerous. I casually grabbed the Worcestershire sauce to add to my venison & beef for burgers, but my new foodie instincts kicked in so I checked the label. Guess what? High fructose corn syrup! It really is in everything. Needless to say, I opted for making my own sauce, using some balsamic vinegar as a base. Still a bit of a bummer, as they add sodium bisulfate to protect the color, but a better alternative at this part in my journey.

Balsamic Vinegar vs. Worcestershire Sauce