MAY10

Food Label Terminology

For many of us who think a lot about food, how healthy it is, where it comes from, and how it was produced, we tend to rely on food labels to give us at least a little bit of that information. We look for information on nutrition, for instance, in the Nutrition Facts labels, or we read the health and nutrient content claims on food packages. And when it comes to production practices, we might look for terms like “Organic,” “Natural,” or “Farm-fresh.” We might even look for information that might tell us something about animal welfare. The term, “cage-free,” for example, would seem to suggest a hen that has the ability to roam around a pasture and perform its natural behaviors.

The US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration both have a role to play in regulating some of this terminology. The problem is, some terms are well-regulated, some are poorly regulated, and some are entirely unregulated. And that not only leads to consumer confusion, it opens up a grey area for companies to paint a picture of their food that might not be totally accurate.

So, let’s wade through at least some of the more popular terms out there to get a better idea of what they actually mean, and how they’re regulated.

ORGANIC: Let’s start here because it is probably the most well-regulated by USDA. If you see “100% Organic” on a label, that means the product contains only fully organic ingredients. If you see the word, “Organic,” without any other qualifiers, that signifies the product contains 95% or more organic ingredients. If you see, “Made with Organic Ingredients,” then the product contains at least 70% organic ingredients. So, even if you didn’t know the percentages related to the terminology, you at least get a sense of the organic nature of a product.

NATURAL or NATURALLY RAISED: Things get pretty dicey from here on out. For instance, the term “natural” is really poorly regulated. The Food Safety and Inspection Service of USDA maintains a legal definition for “natural”: that the product contains no artificial ingredients or added coloring and is only minimally processed. There are some requirements to using this term: the food product label must explain what is meant by using the term “natural.” BUT, this definition only applies to meat and poultry products…and that’s it.

“Naturally raised” is a similar term used on food products, but one that means even less than “natural.” Another branch of the USDA maintains the definition for “naturally raised,” meaning an animal is raised without growth promotants or antibiotics. This definition, however, doesn’t require any sort of label with an explanation of the term. AND, an animal can be raised without the use of antibiotics or growth promotants, but could still be raised on feedlots and can be processed into a product that is in no measurable way any “healthier” or more sustainable than a comparable product. So, even though you might think “naturally raised” would proffer some sort of health or other benefit, it doesn’t necessarily.

FARM FRESH: “Farm-fresh” is all together unregulated. It’s just a marketing term, so really if a product originated at a farm and wasn’t spoiled when it was bought, it probably could be considered ‘farm-fresh.’ This is a very nice example of what some people call ‘green-washing.’

GRASS-FED, CAGE-FREE, and FREE-RANGE: Terms like ‘grass-fed,’ ‘cage-free,’ and ‘free-range,’ are all dubious in their usage. Each has some regulation behind it, but that regulation is lax and doesn’t reflect the image most people have when they see these terms on food packaging. ‘Grass-fed’ only means an animal was fed 100% grass (it does not have to be out on pasture all the time; rather it could be fed harvested grass within a feedlot). It could also have been fed hormones and antibiotics. So, even though the term ‘grass-fed’ suggests a cow out on a green hill munching on grass, this is probably not close to the reality in many cases.

‘Cage-free’ and ‘free-range’ are both poorly regulated terms as well. If a hen is cage-free, it is raised and lays eggs outside of cages. However, it is still likely living in a barn or warehouse, quite possibly in very crowded conditions (which often require de-beaking, or the unanesthetized cutting off of the birds’ beaks). It might or might not have actual access to the outdoors, and if it does, it can just as likely be an enclosed concrete area as actual pasture. Similarly, with ‘free-range,’ outdoor access must be provided the animal, but the length of time and the quality of that outdoor area is not regulated.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Since we buy food far from where it was produced, we can probably rely on organic labeling to tell us at least a little bit about how a product was produced. But we can’t rely on terms such as ‘natural,’ ‘farm-fresh,’ ‘cage-free,’ or ‘free-range’ to tell us much about the healthfulness of a food product, its environmental impact, or how animals were treated in the production of the food product. I would go so far as to say you should avoid putting any stock in these green-washing type terms. Instead, and especially for animal products, the best thing to do is to try to purchase from local producers who you can question about production and animal handling practices. When it come to fruits and vegetables, relying on organic labeling is at least a step in the right direction. But better yet, knowing where they come from, who produced them, and how they were produced, is the absolute ideal.

APR25

It’s hot! Drink locally!

The groans were audible this week as we entered the triple digit zone. Summer is just around the corner, and that means we’re turning on the A/C, cleaning up the pool, and frantically taking advantage of those last few temperate days before Mother Nature cranks it up to “broil”.

Eating locally is our specialty, but today I want to remind you how important it is to drink locally. I mean water, of course! It’s a precious resource in these parts, and it’s important to use it wisely. Water in plastic bottles is exposed to bisphenol-A, a hormone disrupting chemical. BPA is especially prone to leaching into fluids in plastic bottles when it is hot, so if you must drink from a plastic bottle, please do so without exposing that bottle and its contents to the heat of your locked car.

Find a BPA-free plastic bottle (they are marked as such), or a metal bottle, and carry filtered local water with you throughout the day. Be sure to drink proactively. It is so dry in our climate, especially in late spring and early summer, sweat evaporates before we see it and we are not easily cued that we are losing water. If you wait until you’re thirsty, it may be too late.

And, as summer drags on and it gets hard to drink enough plain water to stay adequately hydrated, here’s a suggestion from customer Erica Goble. Her first Chow Share was the one with the beautiful bag of herbs. She has been using them, even the bay leaves, to flavor her afternoon water! “My coworkers now ask me what’s going in the water today,” she shared, “but I think they are intrigued. I am starting to look forward to the fresh flavors and I find it to be a great, refreshing break.”

We’ll get into other hydrating ideas like gazpacho, fun beverages, etc., as summer progresses. If you have any you’d like to pass along, please do! We love to hear from our customers.

APR20

When it comes to Mediterranean, don’t forget the other side of the sea!

We all know that Mediterranean is a great way to eat. But for some reason, our definition of Mediterranean is pretty much Italian and Greek. Oh, and countries that eat hummous.

But did you know, Northern African cuisines are equally as healthy? Moroccan, Tunisian, Iraqui, Turkish, Ethiopian…they all have health benefits as well! These cuisines are PACKED with great spices like paprika, curry, cumin, turmeric, all the goodies that routinely get press for their powers to do everything from fight aging to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

I gave you a recipe for kale this week (see your recipe packet) that uses a spice mix called harissa. It originated in Tunisia, and it is wonderful on greens, barbecue, to spice up pasta…it will work in many dishes calling for red pepper flakes. I have found it at World Market here in Phoenix.

I am also giving you a recipe here for something else I love, berbere spice mix, which originated in Ethiopia. Love, love, love it on lentils! (I learned the first time making it, that it is the best remedy ever for stuffy sinuses…it had me sneezing the whole time I was making it! It is pungent!)

You can make a batch of berbere ahead of time and store it for up to 2 months in the refrigerator. Even though it has a lot of ingredients, they are all easily found in most markets. I have made it a habit to keep some around at all times so I can use it for a quick saute.

We are lucky to live in a climate where we can eat from so many cuisines, hope this little tip expands your list of favorite recipes!

Berbere Spice (from Sundays at the Moosewood Cookbook)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
½ teaspoons cardamom seeds (crush cardamom pods with a wooden spoon to remove the seeds)
½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns

¼ teaspoons whole allspice
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seeds

5 small dried red chiles
½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 ½ tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Heat a skillet on medium-low. Add the first 7 ingredients (cumin seeds through coriander seeds) to the skillet. Toast the spices, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.

Cool the toasted spices and add them to a spice or coffee grinder. Add all the other remaining ingredients to the spice grinder as well. Grind to a fine powder.

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

APR9

Cookbook celebrates 100 years of Arizona cooking, benefits local foodbanks

For the last few weeks, a beautiful stack of cookbooks in the office has caught my attention. I finally had time to look inside, and is this publication ever a treasure! Entitled “100 Years, 100 Chefs, 100 Recipes,” it is a compilation of how-tos from some of Arizona’s most notable chefs. I recognized a few names, such as Justin Beckett (Beckett’s Table), and Charleen Badman (FnB). I found my all-time favorite dish, Chiles en Nogada by Silvana Salcido Esparza (Barrio Cafe). And I learned about restaurants I now have on my “to eat” list, such as Cafe Poca Cosa in Tucson, El Tovar Lodge at the Grand Canyon, Pinon Bistro in Cottonwood, and the Screaming Banshee in Bisbee. One thing I really like about this cookbook is that it is not metro-centric, and includes contributions from all ends of the state, ifrom Greer (Molly Butler Lodge), to Patagonia (Velvet Elvis Pizza), to Williams (Rod’s Steakhouse), to Yuma (Garden Cafe). It showcases our ranching heritage, our Hispanic and Native influences, as well as the modern fusion of all of these by chefs in metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson.

As the person at Chow Locally who is in charge of helping all of you appreciate and create with locally grown foods, I loved reading about how the professionals do it! I will be sharing a recipe or two in the future in your recipe packets when the ingredients work with our weekly harvest.

Most importantly, this book is a fundraiser, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit local food banks. On a tour of the Desert Mission Food Bank last week, Derek and I learned that one in four Phoenix children goes to bed hungry. That is just not acceptable for us to accept as a community, especially a community that loves food and has the luxury of assuming there will always be some on their table. Anything that we can do while noursihing ourselves that turns around and nourishes others is important to participate in.

Many of the recipes in this book highlight our upcoming summer fare — chiles, tomatoes, zucchini, with an equally mouthwatering percentage taking you into the fall bounty of squash, pecans, and sweet potatoes. Whether you are looking for inspiration for yourself, a unique Mother’s Day gift, or a special Christmas gift for someone who happens to love Arizona, this cookbook deserves to be on a shelf near you!

100 Years, 100 Chefs, 100 Recipes is published by MMPR Marketing, who also happens to be our new share pickup location in Arcadia (next to Postino’s at Campbell and 40th Street). You can order the publication through our website.

APR6

Wheat berries…a not so unusual grain

This week’s Chow shares include a brand new item — wheat berries from Ramona Farms. We’re excited about this, and hope you enjoy some new adventures in the kitchen! Many thanks to ASU nutrition student Sarah Jones for her research and writing about them. We hope this information launches you on some new adventures in your kitchen!

Unless you have Celiac Disease or are gluten intolerant, you likely consume wheat (Triticum aestivum) in some form on a regular basis. Whether it is bread, bagels, English muffins, cereal, tortillas, crackers, cookies, etc., it is a common staple in a typical North American diet. Wheat is thought to have been first cultivated in the Nile region and is the world’s third most common cereal crop, second to rice, with corn being the most common. Unlike other grains, wheat has a relatively high amount of gluten, the protein that provides the elasticity necessary for breadmaking and produces the “highest-quality bread and baking flours.”

What you may not be so familiar with is the term “wheat berry,” which is the entire unprocessed wheat kernel (minus the hull) and is comprised of 100% of the original kernel. In order for it to be classified as a TRUE whole grain, all of the bran, germ and endosperm must be present.

The bran, which is the rough covering, has very little nutritional value, but is packed full of insoluble fiber (insoluble fiber acts as a sponge as it moves through the digestive system). The germ is the main concentrated source of vitamins (particularly vitamin E and some B vitamins), minerals and protein. It should be noted that the germ contains polyunsaturated fat, therefore unless it has been “defatted”, should be refrigerated or it will quickly become rancid. The endosperm is full of starch, protein, niacin (vitamin B1) and iron. According to the World’s Healthiest Foods website, one cup of cooked wheat berries has 151 calories, 5.6 g of protein, 34 g of carbohydrates and 8 g of total fiber. There are also other types of whole grain berries related to wheat. I have experimented with barley, spelt, kamut (kah-MOOT) and rye berries. Kamut, in particular, is two to three times the size of most wheat, is high in protein and has a delicious nutty flavor… but that is for another blog!

Perhaps now you are saying, “I want to incorporate wheat berries into my diet, but I don’t know what the heck I do with them?!” This chewy, dense and nutty grain can be used in salads, as a breakfast cereal, pilaf (in place of rice), in chili, as a base for pudding, in risotto, etc. – wheat berries are incredibly versatile! This week you were lucky enough to receive Ramona Farms durum wheat berries in your Chow Locally box, so be sure to check out some of the links to recipes that use the ingredients in your box! On a final note, I found this quote by Julia Child that sums up how I view cooking and with Chow Locally providing the tools to make it happen, you cannot help but be inspired to get in the kitchen and start creating, “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” I could not have said it better myself!

BASIC COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Rinse and boil (with or without a bit of salt) for about an hour; drain and rinse once more (some instructions I found said to soak overnight, but some others said they do not need to be soaked overnight). If they are too chewy for you after one hour of cooking, add more water (if needed) and just cook them a bit longer! Here is a basic recipe for cooking wheat berries from Eating Well magazine.

RECIPE INSPIRATION:

Wheat Berry Salad with Raisins, Beets and Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients used from Chow Locally box: wheat berries, beets, spring onions and carrots. This salad would also be a great over Maya’s Farm magenta Batavian head lettuce and/or the Agritopia Farm spring salad mix.

Roasted Root Vegetable and Wheat Berry Salad

Ingredients used from Chow Locally box: wheat berries, turnips and carrots (possible recipe additions from the box include: chopped red Russian kale and spring onions). This salad would also be a great over Maya’s Farm magenta Batavian head lettuce and/or the Agritopia Farm spring salad mix.

Wheat Berry Black Bean Chili

Ingredients used from Chow Locally box: wheat berries (possible recipe additions from the box include: chopped red Russian kale, carrots, turnips and top the chili with spring onions). Pair this with a green salad drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and S/P to taste.

Creamy Orange Spiked Wheat Berry Pudding

“An intensely vanilla and orange flavored pudding made with chewy wheat berries and spiked with rum.” Citrus is still in season and this would be a perfect spring dessert!

References:

Herbst, Sharon. Food lover’s companion. Third Edition. Hauppauge, NY:Barron’s. 2001, 667-668. Print.
Brown, Amy. Understanding food principles & preparation. Fourth edition. Belmont, CA:Wadsworth. 2011, 350. Print.
“Wheat: in-depth nutrient analysis.” The world’s healthiest foods. 2012. The george mateljan foundation, Web. April 5, 2012. <http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrientprofile&dbid=133>.

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