July is upon us. Know what happens in July? Heat, humidity, coupled with depressing economic times, a lazy feeling. The condition is known as the summer doldrums though economic conditions are not usually one of the causes (they are this year!). Do not think the FDA or CDC are investigating what is a common summer ailment. Do you have the symptoms? …continue reading Summer Doldrums, a disease for all ages

US Federal Reserve Chairman, Bernanke, stated in testimony to Congress yesterday, “The economy has continued to expand, but at a subdued pace,” Mr. Bernanke said at another point. In one rare note of optimism, he revised upward the Fed’s growth estimate for the year and added that consumer spending had somewhat exceeded expectations. “A shinning pebble among an expanse of rocks and no one notices, or is it denial? …continue reading Personification of Denial: Hard Times in the USA

The back of the Bhutanese red rice bag I bought at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival says it grows at a height of 8,000 feet in the Himalayan mountains and is irrigated with centuries-old glacier water “rich in trace minerals.” Sounds intriguing, no? Honestly, I could care less about that. I wanted to know what it tastes like! So I prepared Jasha Maroo, a traditional Bhutanese chicken dish. …continue reading Jasha Maroo: Bhutanese Chicken with Red Rice

…continue reading Smithsonian Folk Life Festival: Texas and Bhutanese Cuisine

What did you have for dinner last night? There’s a pretty good chance your answer is chicken. According to the National Chicken Council, Americans eat chicken an average of 4.5 times every two weeks.

If you did answer chicken, do you know what that chicken was fed? Most Americans probably don’t know the answer and it’s not a subject most people want to start delving into – especially since the answer is most likely less than appetizing. Beyond what that chicken ate, how was it raised . . . or even how was it slaughtered?

The answers are hard to come by (and usually pretty grizzly) unless you have gone out of your way to purchase chicken that’s Certified Humane. That seal is the best assurance that an egg, dairy, meat or poultry product has been produced with the welfare of the farm animal in mind. It also assures consumers that the food they’re buying was raised under conditions that animals are supposed to be raised in.

While working on a profile of Adele Douglass, the woman who created the Certified Humane seal (www.certifiedhumane.com), I had an opportunity to speak with Craig Floyd of Footsteps Farm in Stonington, CN. Floyd, who retired from the US Postal Service to pursue farming, is full of enthusiasm for what he does. He and his wife Sheryl are passionate about resurrecting the farm that’s been in the Floyd family since 1712.

The way the Floyds farm is different from most working farms. They follow many of the same techniques his ancestors used before chemicals and industrialization turned farming from a way of life into a big business. He told me how he proudly wears his Certified Humane apron when he goes to farmers markets, joking that a lot of people mis-read the apron and ask him what it means to be “Certified Human.”

The thing is, Floyd is actually a fitting example of the word human. Used as a noun, human means a person – which of course, he is – but so is everybody else. However, when used as an adjective human describes the “characteristic of people’s better qualities, such as kindness or sensitivity.” Craig Floyd represents the human side of being a farmer – yes, even to the point that I would say he should be “Certified Human.”

“We do things a little bit differently here on our farm,” he says. “We treat all of our animals with respect.” Floyd says his animals are like family and he even names all his livestock (and some of the chickens).

“Our personal belief is that the Lord put animals on this earth for our consumption but it must be done with respect. We gather our chickens on Friday night in a trailer and we try to keep them calm. Anytime you stress an animal you change the flavor and the tenderness of the meat. Saturday morning is when it’s time for them to go. We give thanks to the Lord for giving us these chickens and we give thanks to each and every chicken for giving their lives for us.”

In addition to chickens, Footsteps Farm raises pigs and cows. They have a wonderful website (www.footstepsfarm.com) that includes both a journal of their farming experiences and a blog. It’s a great place to visit, especially if you’re interested in the human side of farming.

-Michele Harris

At a time when threatened cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates could make it increasingly difficult for physicians to treat Medicare patients, many doctors are rethinking keeping Medicare patients as part of their practice. There is also a terrible scarcity of geriatricians (doctors that specialize in those over 65). Yet this is a population that deserves to remain active and independent. …continue reading Who will provide health care for the over 65 crowd?

In my usual first-Tuesday-of-the-month rush last week, I ended up creating a dish that had “single male” written all over it. Like my honey baked chicken, this one has just three ingredients and is incredibly easy.

After sitting in hot, sticky rush hour traffic for longer than expected on a Tuesday evening, I arrived home, stomach growling, to a relatively empty refrigerator. Luckily I had just bought a bag of frozen chicken breasts (I’m testing these and comparing them to buying fresh and freezing). Among the few items in my fridge: One lone nectarine ripening in the fruit bin and a 1/4 full jar of Newman’s Own Mango Salsa. My wheels started turning. In my opinion the salsa didn’t go all that well with chips, but perhaps it would compliment a chicken breast!

Tip: Don’t limit ingredients to what they’re “supposed” to be used for. Get creative!

Here’s what I came up with:

Recipe: Mango Salsa Chicken
Serves one

1 chicken breast, fresh or frozen
1 nectarine or peach, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup mango or peach-mango salsa, divided

If chicken is frozen, thaw it in a bowl of hot water. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Coat bottom of a small dutch oven with a thin layer oil, lay chicken in center, and cover with half of salsa. Flip chicken and cover other side. Arrange nectarine slices around chicken. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Check chicken with a knife after 30 minutes and bake until juice runs clear.

Here it is! A single serving of my favorite potato salad. I was tempted, just now, to write “the best” potato salad, but I’ll be fair and just say “my favorite.” However, I will tell you that I hate potatoes but can’t get enough of this stuff. Actually, I promptly inhaled what you see above after photographing it. Yum. I am satisfied. …continue reading Old Bay, Cheddar, and Chive Potato Salad

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday. Thought you might find the following facts from the US Census Bureau on the 4th of July interesting:

The Fourth of July: On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always, this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard barbecues across the country.
2.5 million; In July 1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation. Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970

…continue reading July 4th Holiday, fun facts

My box of fresh produce from Washington’s Green Grocer arrived yesterday! I got the small box, which looks like it’s going to be the perfect size and will last me two weeks until the next one arrives (I ordered bi-weekly delivery). Here’s what I got:

Two tomatoes, three ears of corn, two zucchini, two cucumbers … …continue reading Fresh, local produce box