251.709.4469--Alescia
foleymarketmgr@gmail.com
Click to Call! 251.943.1545
Located in Foley, Alabama
My wife was a fan of an afternoon television show in which a doctor talked with women in the audience about health issues. Occasionally, when I walked through the room, I would pause and listen to what he was covering for that day. A frequent topic of his was to discuss the health benefit of a spice or nut or dried fruit. He always concluded the segment with something like, “Just put a little on your cereal each morning.” After about the dozenth time hearing him say that, I commented to my wife, “If we followed his advice, we would need to eat cereal from a barrel and it would take all day with all the toppings he recommends.” I think I ruined the show for her as she has not been watching it since, but that’s another matter.
Following health advice gets complicated. Recently, I read an article in which the author attacked the holiest of holies – fruit. He wrote that fruit should not be eaten alone because of sugar content, but paired with protein or with whole grains. Now, a couple of weeks ago I did create a recipe that I posted with pork chops and peaches and I did receive some feedback about some folks who tried the recipe with positive results. However, the author of the article arguing for exclusive fruit pairing goes to messing with Baldwin County blueberries or strawberries or with Chilton County peaches, have mercy I’m not going to be an adherent to that advice. Peaches and cheese make a good snack, but so does a peach by itself or a handful of blueberries by themselves. If we followed all the health food-related advice, we simply couldn’t eat everything we supposedly need to eat and in right combinations. So, what do we do?
As I have expressed before, we are offered way too much contradictory advice. However, no one can argue that our current Western diet of trans-fats, refined sugars, highly processed foods is not good for us. Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, says of strategies to escape our highly destructive diet, we must “vote with our forks” and purchase foods from farmers’ markets and from local farms. “It is hard to eat badly from the farmers’ market, from a CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture), or from your own garden,” he writes. [Note: See Alescia Forland at Forland Family Market for a great CSA option.]
He goes on to write, “when you eat from the farmers’ market, you automatically eat food that is in season, which is usually when it is most nutritious. Eating in season also tends to diversify your diet.” He adds, “To shop at a farmers’ market … has several implications for your health. Local produce is typically picked ripe and is fresher than supermarket produce, and for those reasons it should be tastier and more nutritious.”
Changing the subject on you slightly, I’m a fan of the comic strip Arlo and Janis, for two reasons. First, I see myself in the humor of the comic strip and I can laugh at myself and the second reason is that I’ve known the artist, Jimmy Johnson, since my college days. My roommate was the editor of the college newspaper and Jimmy was drawing a cartoon strip for the college newspaper back then. Through my roommate I got to know Jimmy as well as his future wife (from whom he is now amicably divorced), author Rheta Grimsley Johnson. When my youngest son was in high school and considering potential careers, he briefly entertained the idea of becoming a cartoonist. Through my former roommate, I was able to arrange for my son to meet Jimmy Johnson, who is still one of the nicest people you will ever meet as he was back in college. He spent several hours talking with us and helping my son know the intricacies of cartooning.
This long introduction is to deliver a punchline: In one of my favorite Arlo and Janis strips that’s still on my refrigerator, Janis asks Arlo, “Is this just another Baby Boomer fad?” To which Arlo answers, “Probably, but this one actually makes sense.”
Farmers’ Markets are one of the fastest growing entities in the country, partly based on the fact that it’s another Baby Boomer fad, but this one actually makes sense as we can get what we need and support local, small farmers who are the mainstay of our economy from the beginning of time and always will be. Each week as I cruise the farmers’ market, I realize that the solution to healthy eating dilemmas is stacked up on the back of the pickup trucks at Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market.
Recipe of the Week: Summer Vegetable Soup
The inspiration for this soup occurred one-day last summer as I was shopping at the Market. I decided to experiment with the same vegetables as I have listed, went home, and created a light summer soup that was perfect for a good lunch. A famous soup company, that creates some of the most disastrously tasting soups that amount to mainly water, salt, corn syrup, and Monosodium glutamate with a scintilla of something that vaguely resembles food, several years ago put together a summer-time ad campaign for soup that actually made sense. Eating their soups does not make sense, but they advertised that eating soup in summer was the perfect meal – you need more hydration and eating soup is a light meal for hot weather. Following that advice, I offer to you Summer Vegetable Soup.
Ingredients:
1 eggplant
2 zucchinis
2 yellow crook squash
2 tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 onion
~1 quart of thin chicken broth (I make my own using a half chicken from NatureNine farms or use No-salt Kitchen Basics broth)
White wine
Basil, oregano, and rosemary
Olive oil
Sea salt
Ground pepper
Direction:
I served this for lunch with a glass of cold water with a slice of lemon and it was enough.
Enjoy and I’ll see you at the Market.
Bob Zeanah
Author of No Anchor (published November 2015)
Available online from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or Books a Million
Author of Work to Do (published July 2014)
Available online from Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Books a Million
14410 Oak Street
Magnolia Springs AL 36555
251-752-5174 mobile device
bobzeanah@gmail.com
www.bobzeanah.com
Earthly Bodies
Recently, I typed the words, “food as medicine” in my search engine and sixteen books came up as well as several websites. The whole notion of finding ways to get healthier and stay healthy is probably at its highest level of interest among people. Baby boomers are getting older and looking at longevity issues as related to health and preventing diseases as well as ways to address current health issues that they are experiencing. Millenniums seem obsessed with the topic and are often more knowledgeable than their parents regarding health issues and foods. Any health issue you can name, you will find information about foods that can reportedly help you.
Now, don’t go throwing away your prescription medications and I don’t have a 1-800 number for you to call as operators are not standing by, but there are some age-old notions as well as new research worth noting as the idea of food as medicine may be worthy of consideration and individual research. A good place to start is with Johanna (pronounced Yo-hanna) Earthly Ramos and you can find her at http://www.earthlybodies.org. You can purchase her specialty juices formulated for various health concerns – high blood sugar, inflammation, skin conditions, overweight, PMS, heart problems, and the list continues. See below for instructions on how to order her juices.
Her story with making juices to address health concerns began with a personal tragedy followed by months of being on, what she calls, “an emotional rollercoaster.” However, from her own experience she realized that she could turn tragedy into something positive for herself and ever since that realization she has been making her life better as well as other people’s lives better with her 52 juice recipes. She strictly uses blends of multiple seasonal fruits and vegetables to create her juices. Personally, I love the Kale Yeah! juice and have a little each morning for breakfast.
To purchase her juices, you can go on her website and make a purchase through the “Store” before Friday and then pick up the formulated juice at Forland Family Market on Saturday.
More information can be found on her website, her Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope TV.
Bonus Recipe of the Week: Acorn Squash
I’m having to give a bonus recipe as I have a self-imposed rule that all recipes must contain at least three ingredients obtained from Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market, Forland Family Market, or Shrimp to Go. This bonus recipe is a simple recipe for acorn squash and only contains two items purchased at the Market.
Acorn squash (various vendors)
Butter (Forland Family Market)
Raw sugar
Cinnamon (I use Badia as the flavor tastes consistently fresher and more intense to me than others.)
Directions:
Recipe of the Week: Meatloaf
1 pound of grass-fed, free range hamburger meat (George Family Farm)
1 egg (various vendors)
½ cup of non-GMO, organic oatmeal (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 small sweet onion diced (various vendors)
Tony’s Tejas Salsa
3 tablespoons raw honey (various vendors)
1½ tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
Both of these foods complement each other as a pairing and go great with a glass of red wine. I served them with a green salad made with Craine Creek Farms lettuce. Enjoy and I’ll see you at the Market.
What Nutritionists from Other Countries Have to Say?
Recently an international conference of nutritionists was held in the United States. During the conference, a writer for a magazine devoted to nutrition organized a panel of nutritionists representing seven countries, all of which are known for healthy lifestyles. A very basic question was asked: What recommendations do they have for better nutrition? Their answers were fairly consistent among the seven nutritionists.
Focus on Vegetables: All of the nutritionists recommended eating more vegetables and to make vegetables the center of a meal. They expressed shock that Americans ALWAYS have meat as the front-and-center focus of their plates rather than vegetables. They also expressed surprise that Americans do not eat more all-vegetable meals. All of the nutritionists described how freshly harvested vegetables are served in their countries routinely as the entire meal.
As I thought about this recommendation, I realized that this is so true. Meat, front and center. In fact, I pulled out an old etiquette book and an old style basic cookbook from 50 years ago. In both books I found diagrams how to organize a plate based on proper etiquette. Meat, front and center. A few years ago, my wife and I started having one meatless day per week. At first, it felt like a sacrifice, now it just feels normal and often we have more than one day when we have no meat. Don’t get me wrong, we both love a good cheeseburger just as much as anyone else, but we also have found that a plate of vegetables to be extremely satisfying. It just took some getting used to. Of course, as frequent shoppers at Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market and Forland Family Market know, finding quality vegetables is an easy task.
Eat more plant based protein: Beans, peas, and nuts are used frequently. These products are often the entire meal, frequently as hand food. In addition, several of the nutritionists talked about nuts being used as flavorings in their culture. Peanuts in season can be found at Forland Family Market as well as nuts by the pound. In season, peas and beans are readily available and easy to freeze fresh retaining their nutritional value.
Herbs: Each of the nutritionists in the group related that the use of fresh herbs was a part of the daily diet in their respective cultures. In some of the cultures represented, herbs were also used to make tea; in others cultures, herbs were used for flavorings; and in some instances herbs, particularly leaves were eaten separately as a part of the meal. Fresh herb plants are sold at the Market and most of them are easy to grow. In the climate of Coastal Alabama, herbs can be grown outside in the ground or in pots with only a few days a year needing to be covered or brought inside. In addition, two vendors feature microgreens some of which are made from herbs. Also, a unique blend of tea herbs is available at the Market from Moringa Colectivo.
Spices: Each of the nutritionists in the group talked of the importance of adding spices to foods, not just for flavor, but also for the medicinal values that species can afford. Also, see the notes in this week’s recipe for a good source of fresh spices.
Fish: All the nutritionists were adamant about this recommendation even the one landlocked country who was adamant about freshwater fish and freshwater mollusks. Getting fresh seafood is easy for us living on the Coast. Two vendors at the Market carry fresh seafood.
Naturally Sweet Treats: The nutritionists emphasized that most cultures do not eat refined sugars such as what we have in desserts. They said that fruit is the staple for desserts or is used as the sweetener for dessert. Easy enough to find plenty of fruit at Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market and at Forland Family Farm.
Recipe of the Week: Trigger Fish
Trigger Fish (available from Shrimp to Go or J&K Farms)
Seafood Seasoning (I use Barrier Reef Caribbean Spice Blend that I purchase online from Savory Spice Shop in Denver, Colorado but other spice blends, such as Old Bay, work.)
1 Tablespoon scant finely chopped sweet onion (available from several vendors)
1 Tablespoon scant finely chopped sweet pepper (available from several vendors)
1 Tablespoon scant finely chopped celery (Forland Family Market)
Olive Oil
Microgreens
I served this fish covered in microgreens with leftover mixed grain rice (we’re frugal at my house, but the texture and flavors of rice blends are enhanced after sitting in the refrigerator overnight and most of the day), Crowder peas (Forland Family Market), green salad with Craine Creek lettuce, and chilled white wine.
Of course, you can use any fish you prefer with this recipe.
Lagniappe: If you ever find yourself near one of the 24 Savory Spice Shop locations, do yourself a favor and go in. They’re located in several Southeastern states, mid-West states, and Pacific Coast states. You will need to allow yourself at least an hour to taste and smell all their spices and herbs and blends. And, plan on blowing your budget.
Sustainability
Buzzwords enter our language and usually live a short life before returning to the original context of the word. Currently, one such buzzword is “sustainability” and it can be found in many areas – environment, urban planning, economics, non-profit agencies, businesses, and just about anywhere. Farmers have always understood the concept of sustainability perhaps better than anyone. They understand the need to live beyond a single growing season, they understand the need to sustain their crops year after year and even generation after generation. In many cases, they understand that their farm still produces because of the practices their great grandparents implemented.
[Note: the next five paragraphs contain information I shamelessly plagiarized from the internet about farmers’ markets. I re-worded the text in a few places, deleted superfluous verbiage, and wrote some original thoughts. I share these ideas because of the importance our farmers are to us.]
Behind the rows of produce, busy vendors, and eager customers, farmers’ markets are a bustling hub of sustainability. Local farmers deliver fresh, local food to a growing number of consumers demanding food that is not only healthy, but environmentally friendly. But farmers’ markets take sustainability a step further. They also ensure farmers can make a living off sustainably grown food, while providing an outlet where communities can conveniently find and purchase their products.
Sustainability is the overarching theme in the system of farmers’ markets. Farmers engage in sustainable farming practices to produce healthy food to sustain the local community, who in turn provide the revenue necessary to sustain the farmers. Each shares in the success of the other in a mutually beneficial relationship that has become a model for sustainability.
Farmers who choose to use sustainable practices face a challenging economic climate dominated by large, corporate farms. Many find they cannot compete with the massive volume, low market prices, and government subsidies enjoyed by large operations. Farmers markets offer small and mid-sized farmers a low-barrier entry point to develop and establish a thriving business free from the overhead necessary to sell in large retail outlets. But just as important, farmers’ markets create a space where the focus of food is on quality and farming practices rather than price alone. Each year, more and more customers are drawn to farmers’ markets due to an increasing demand for natural and organic food.
According to a USDA survey, markets that sell organic products report more customers per week, more vendors, and larger monthly sales. This upward trend depicts a rising consciousness among customers who are concerned with not just what they eat, but how it is produced. As a result, more and more farmers are adopting environmentally sound farming practices that improve, rather than degrade, the natural environment.
Farmers selling at markets minimize the amount of waste and pollution they create. Many use certified organic practices, reducing the amount of synthetic pesticides and chemicals that pollute our soil and water. A growing number are also adopting other low-impact practices, such as on-site composting, that help mitigate climate change and other environmental issues.
One thing I enjoy doing when I visit Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermens Market and Forland Family Market is to talk with the vendors about their farming methods. They’re proud of what they do and will readily share with you about their practices. In addition to getting great, fresh food, you can get a lesson on sustainable farm practices. Great fresh food raised by local farmers with a nice bonus of sustainable production practices. Good food, supporting local farmers, and sound environmental practices. Sustainability.
Recipe of the Week is something I created when I realized that I bought too many peaches at the Market that two people could not possibly eat before the peaches went bad.
Pork Chops and Peaches
Ingredients
2 pork chops about ¾ inch thick (NatureNine Farm or George Family Farm)
3 peaches diced into bite-sized pieces (Forland Family Market)
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of diced fresh rosemary (from a plant I purchased at the Market)
Low sodium chicken broth (I use Kitchen Basics)
Directions
I served the pork chops/peaches with roasted new potatoes (Forland Family Farm), a garden salad using Craine Creek lettuce, and a glass of white wine.