Michael Pollan is at it again, going where no writer has gone before to enlighten and inspire us to change our lives and, in small ways, to change the world. His most recent piece for the New York Times Magazine is another clearly laid-out indictment of our personal diets as they are dictated by “Big Food” and our personal health as dictated by “Big Pharma.” In the article he moves from the revelation that he had his gut analyzed for levels of good and bad bacteria to a discussion of the history and geography of our diet and how it has evolved to remove from our bodies many of the good bacteria that would normally keep asthma, allergies, and other autoimmune diseases out of our bodies. It would seem that the greatest threats to our daily health may not be the bad stuff out there but the lack of good stuff in our own bodies to fight off the bad stuff.

You need to read this to see how his argument develops. But his final point, once again, is that the “components of a microbiota-friendly diet are already on the supermarket shelves and in farmers’ markets.” He reminds us that “the less a food is processed, the more of it that gets safely through the gastrointestinal tract and into the eager clutches of the microbiota” (the collective microbes in our bodies). And as he often does, he explains in great detail why his major point is so important for us to understand: “This is at once a very old and a very new way of thinking about food: it suggests that all calories are not created equal and that the structure of food and how it is prepared may matter as much as its nutrient composition.”

Feed on that, folks — read more and learn more.

Photo by theNerdPatrol

We do guarantee that our produce is grown locally, which in this area can include on farms located in Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania in addition to Virginia. In fact, many of our farmers from outside of Virginia are actually closer to our markets than our Virginia farmers, especially those from the Northern Neck of Virginia who drive two hours each way to get to our markets.

But the U.S. and Virginia Departments of Agriculture recognize another product designation. “Value-added” applies to vendors, many of whom are cooks or bakers, who start with one or more raw ingredients and produce a product by adding skill, talent, or specialized expertise in order to render something palatable or edible. This is the category under which we accept Kettle Korn poppers and coffee roasters as well as bakers and short-order cooks. Many of these vendors are personally committed to using local ingredients when they can, and they buy from their fellow vendors as often as possible. Smart Markets encourages this but does not require it.

A significant element of our mission is to support the small food entrepreneur, which we believe is a good way to ensure that locally prepared foods will continue to be available in our communities. These foods are almost always healthier than fast foods. We therefore want to see these small businesses succeed, and if that means their buying of some ingredients wholesale for a while, then we accept that as part of their cost of doing business. We’d have no salsa in winter otherwise.

Most vendors are happy to tell you where their ingredients come from, and many actually make a big deal of it in their signage and printed materials. And if you want to support those vendors who are more committed to local sourcing, that is your choice. That too is what markets are about — giving you choices based on what is most important to you, your family, and its budget. While our mantra has always been that “food is cheaper than medicine,” we all know that our food budgets are a daily concern with immediate consequences.

Remember to ask what you want to know at the farmers’ market. Someone will have the answer!

• 1 lb butter
• 6-8 egg yolks (beaten)
• 1/4-1/2 c water
• 1 t salt
• 1-2 T lemon juice
• Dash of cayenne pepper

Boil 2-3 cups of water in a saucepan or bottom of a double boiler (this will be used to warm the Hollandaise). Once boiled keep on low.

Clarify butter by melting in a sauce pan on low heat until all of the butter has melted and it starts to separate. The foam will be on top, clear butter in the center and milk solids on the bottom. Skim off foam with a spoon. Pour the clear butter in a measuring cup and set aside. (Try not to get the milk solids in the bottom of the pan in the clear butter.)

Place yolks in steel bowl and warm on and off on top of the warm water in the saucepan or double boiler. Keep stirring the eggs.

Add the clarified butter a little at a time, taking the yolks on and off the hot water. Keep whisking the eggs — if they get too hot they’ll curdle, so don’t leave the yolks on the heat too long or unattended.

Once all of the butter is added, you can add lemon, salt and pepper and cook a little more until it thickens a bit. If the sauce gets too thick, add hot water 1 T at a time until it thins.

Serve on eggs Benedict or any kind of meat.

Photo by Stacy Spensley

The following is an excerpt, and though I have tried many times over the last five years to say this, nobody says it better:

At a certain point in the late middle of my life I made the unexpected but happy discovery that the answer to several of the questions that most occupied me was in fact one and the same.

Cook.

Some of these questions were personal. For example, what was the single most important thing we could do as a family to improve our health and general well-being? And what would be a good way to better connect with my teenage son? … Other questions were slightly more political in nature. For years I had been trying to determine (because I am often asked) what is the most important thing an ordinary person can do to help reform the American food system, to make it healthier and more sustainable? Another related question is, how can people living in a highly specialized consumer economy reduce their sense of dependence and achieve a greater degree of self-sufficiency? And there there were the more philosophical questions, the ones I’ve been chewing on since I first started writing books. How, in our everyday lives, can we acquire a deeper understanding of the natural world and our species’ peculiar role in it? You can always go to the woods to confront such questions, but I discovered that even more interesting answers could simply be had by going to the kitchen.

Amen! I can’t wait to read this book. I am sure I will be quoting it and elaborating on it for the next few weeks.

Photo by theNerdPatrol

I got a call the other day from Max Tyson Jr., our fruit farmer extraordinaire and vegetable cultivator as well. He had been trying to send me this picture via his phone and it wasn’t going through, but he had to call and tell me that he had just picked the first “bunch” of asparagus of the season — not bunches or boxes — but the first single bunch from the entire patch. I could hear the anticipation and pride in his voice. When I got home and saw the picture on the computer, I had to admit that the picture tells the story pretty well. Caring hands picking his own crop, the first real spring crop of the season, and even though it happens every year, it is still a miracle when it does.

Our farmers have been in the fields literally into the night for weeks now. Ignacio emails that he is sorry he cannot come to market yet; he has too much work in the field, and he is very tired. Baron Faust of Fossil Rock Farm writes that because of the “much extended winter,” it will be a couple of weeks before he can come. Curt Shade is just waiting for his tulips to get a little higher, and Mike Burner tells me over the phone in his greenhouse at 9 p.m. at night that he can hardly wait to come to market in a week or so.

We have no idea how hard these guys work to feed us, and I wonder how many of us suburbanites could even do the work. This is the connection between farmer and market shopper that a grocery store can never replicate, no matter how many signs and pictures they put up to tell us about their suppliers. Those large suppliers are not in the grocery store telling us how they grow their produce, and they certainly aren’t getting that retail price that the small farmers need just to get by. Our farmers need us as much as we need them. That’s the connection, and that’s what makes us feel good about shopping at a farmers’ market.

This stupidity makes it harder for small farmers to survive and for you to buy from them at quality farmers’ markets. How could there be more people in this country who support subsidizing wealthy corporate farmers who are polluting our water, destroying the soil, and sickening animals and humans alike every year? How could there be more people who choose not to support small farmers all over this country in every state who strive to feed us at the local level? I don’t believe there are.

Big farms and chemical companies are giving lots of money to decision-makers, but I do see a change in the wind. Every day the newspaper features an article about our food system, or a new discovery about the effect of some nutrient in our food on our health, or about some positive development about school lunches — not to mention the astounding data and comments on the Web. And documentary films just keep coming in spite of new laws across the country that make it a crime to document the activities of farmers and slaughterhouses that lead to illness and death. I have a feeling these videographers will just keep on shooting and take their chances with juries, which will be made up people like you and me who will be appalled at what they see.

When I was ready to prepare it for dinner, I first discovered by checking for the bendable point on the stalk that I was going to have to remove about a third of each stalk, except for the two that broke even higher up. I also discovered four stalks, two each in the middle of each bunch, that were withered, probably just from age. So when I finished with the prep work, I was down to a little less than a pound of edible asparagus — which meant that I had paid more like $5 a pound instead of the advertised price.

When you shop at a market, the asparagus will have been picked either the day before or even the morning of the market. It will have been picked close to the ground, and almost all of the stalk will be tender and edible. The tips will be tight, which also attests to their freshness. And most important, the asparagus will taste fresher; it does seem to take on a bitter bite as it ages on its long journey from Mexico or California. So market asparagus will give you much more value for your money, more flavor and more nutrition.

This is a perfect example of what I like to call the value quotient at a market, and you can learn to recognize it for yourself if you practice and remember. This is also the best argument to use when responding to those who complain that market prices are too high. There are other examples — other ways to look at the produce you buy, how you use it, and what it does for you when you consume it. Over the next month or so as the markets fill up will all that value, I will be sure to point out more of those examples.

From the refrigerator:

• ½ large yellow onion, diced
• ½ large fennel bulb, diced
• ½ green or red pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese or a mix of cheeses

From the pantry:

• 1 13-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 13-oz can black bans, well-rinsed

From the freezer:

• 1 lb. local chorizo sausage links or grillers, beef or pork
• 1 package large (8-inch) tortillas for quesadillas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sauté onion, fennel and pepper over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes or until soft and beginning to color. Add garlic for last 2 minutes. Add beans and tomatoes and cook to reduce liquid, about 3 minutes. In another skillet, sauté sausage links till done through and slice thinly.

Lightly coat a large cookie sheet with oil and place two tortillas on the pan. Spread about ¼ of the mixture on each tortilla to within one inch of the edge. Lay about ¼ of the chorizo slices on each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese to taste. Top each with another tortilla and spray or brush the top of each with oil.

Bake 5-8 minutes until brown on top and flip to brown on the other side. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream.

On the next day, bring all of the leftover ingredients except cheese to a simmer, add back the tomato juices if you wish, and add about 2 cups of good chicken or beef stock. Simmer for another 10 minutes and serve with remaining cheese sprinkled on top.

The only way to be certain would be to have an inspector at every farm every day. For our part, Smart Markets does have strict rules and regulations that are enforced with as much regularity as it takes to get the word out that we do not tolerate missed markets, late arrivals, surly behavior or peddling products purchased wholesale for resale. We do this by being ready to make an unannounced inspection whenever a shopper or one of our managers notices something fishy (that isn’t fish). But the best way to back up our guarantee is to take time to know the farmers, and we do a good job of that.

We reach out to all of our farmers with information that can help them to farm better; we help them with everything from pricing to display to handling their finances if they need that. We pass along grant and loan information and seek out restaurants and other retailers who pay good prices for locally-grown products. And by helping like that, we form a relationship based on trust and respect. And rarely thus far has any farmer taken advantage of that. In fact, the only ones who have been suspected of breaking any of our rules have chosen on their own not to return. The word is out.

The wonderful result of having such a crack-the-whip reputation is that now we have farmers coming to us because they know we will protect them from other farmers who would cheat and undercut them. It’s much easier to charge less for your produce if you are buying wholesale. I admit that to be successful at this I did have to grow myself a second, tougher skin, but my vendors and certainly my shoppers are better off for it, so I must be, too.

To help you shoulder your responsibility, we have a handout that we share at our markets called Five Questions for the Discerning Shopper, which you can read here. And please do not be afraid to ask these questions. There is another list provided by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that has questions for the farmers themselves.

You will ultimately have to decide for yourselves how important those answers are to you and how much you trust the market management and farmers. But at least you have that opportunity at a market; you see that farmer every week and you see how the market is managed. You can tell whether the vendors are glad to be there, even in a 30 mph gale, and you can learn just what you need to know to make your own decision.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Serves 4

I have had this recipe cut out of an old magazine and taped onto a 3x5 card in my recipe box for about 50 years. It was called Chicken Ah-Yum then, and it really is yummy. I rarely use the butter or oil in the recipe; it is more intensely flavored without it and much healthier.

• 4 small chicken breasts or 3 large (about 1 pound)
• ½ cup butter or good olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 packages Good Seasoning Italian Dressing Mix

Mix butter or oil, lemon juice and salad dressing mix together with a small whisk and marinate chicken pieces in it for about 30 minutes before grilling; baste with the marinade while grilling until just done through.

Stir-Fried Rice with Winter Vegetables

I use my favorite rice/whole-grain mix grown and marketed by Rice Select — their Royal Blend Whole Grain Mixture. Cook three cups and cool to room temperature.

In the meantime, sauté over medium-high heat ½ medium onion, 1 small fennel bulb, and ½ large green or red pepper, roughly chopped, in 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Add to the pan 1 cup roughly chopped carrots and 2 cups small Brussels sprouts (or large ones cut in half), previously blanched for 4 minutes. Incorporate into onion mixture over medium-low heat for one minute.

Add the cooled rice and cook, stirring to mix, for about 2 minutes. Add about two cups baby greens of your choice and stir in till wilted, about another 2 minutes. Season to taste with a good soy sauce while greens are wilting and sprinkle with a little more sesame oil before serving.

You can use any mix of vegetables you choose for this stir-fry. In the summer I use carrots, red pepper, zucchini, and sometimes fresh corn. In the spring, sugar snaps and English peas work well with baby bok choy.

Use your own imagination throughout the seasons; just about any vegetable will work. Some need only to be sautéed; some will require blanching.

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled if you wish, cubed into bite-size pieces
• 1 large apple, best if the peel is left on but peeled if you wish, cubed into bite-size pieces
• 3–4 heaping tablespoons of local honey of your choice
• 2 tsp (or more to taste) chai spice mix from Aromatic Spice Blends (our vendor at Smart Markets Oakton)
• dash or two of nutmeg to taste
• dash or two of cinnamon to taste

• cooking spray (I like Spectrum, but any spray will do)

• Pre-heat oven to 375.

• Generously cooking-spray the inside of an 8 x 8 cooking dish (or larger as appropriate if you are doubling, tripling, or quadrupling this recipe).
• Since sweet potatoes take longer to cook than apples, put the potatoes in the oven alone, first in the cooking dish. Cook till they are getting to be tender, about 20 minutes (or longer for larger quantities).
• Now it’s time to add the apples on top of the potatoes. The apples should take an additional 15 minutes or so to soften.
• While you wait for the apples to soften, gently melt the honey, chai spices, cinnamon and nutmeg on the stove or in the microwave (if microwaving, just 10 seconds will do the trick). Stir gently.
• Evenly pour this mixture on top of the potatoes and apples. Allow to cook about 5 minutes longer.
• Potatoes and apples should both be pleasantly soft and warm by this time and infused with the spices and honey. Keep covered and warm till ready to serve.
• Cooking times will vary for larger quantities. The recipe will serve 3–4 meat eaters eating this as a side dish or 2–3 vegetarians who choose to fill up on side dishes and skip the turkey.
• Enjoy!

For Sauce:

Sauté one medium onion and two garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons olive oil until softened. Add 1 35-oz. can of Italian plum tomatoes in sauce. (I prefer Cento brand, now available at Safeway.)

Bring to a low boil and then lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Along the way, add about 1 tablespoon each of dried basil and dried oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.

In summer, you can always use fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped coarsely, or a combination of fresh and canned. For the full recipe, you would need about four pounds of tomatoes, and a mix of varieties makes for a very flavorful sauce. You could even halve cherry or grape tomatoes and cook them down also.

When available, always opt for fresh herbs too — just add in nearer the end of the cooking time. And feel free to add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste if you like.

For Peppers:

Sauté 1 medium onion and 1 medium fennel bulb, both trimmed and peeled of outer layers and sliced into thin slices, in 2 tablespoons olive oil for about 3 minutes over medium heat. Core and peel 2–3 sweet peppers, preferably several colors of peppers, and add them to the onions and fennel. Sauté for another 5–10 minutes until the vegetables are softened but still have a bite.

For Sausage:

Cook your favorite hot or sweet Italian sausage as you normally would but end up with the sausage sliced into ¼-inch slices and tossed in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil until slightly browned. Remove sausage from the pan and deglaze it with ¼ cup of good red wine and add the mixture to the tomato sauce. Then add sausage to the sauce.

All of these steps can be done almost simultaneously or can be made in advance and reheated for the final presentation.

Cook one pound pasta according to package directions and drain. Divide among four (or up to six) plates or pasta bowls and top with sauce and then with peppers. Sprinkle with good Parmesan cheese and enjoy! Really enjoy!

• 2 tablespoons olive, canola or peanut oil
• 3 ounces country ham cut into small dice (you can purchase small packages of country ham pieces for flavoring at local grocery stores)
• ¼ cup fennel, finely diced
• ¼ cup carrot, finely diced
• ½ cup onion, finely diced
• ¼ cup red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic or more to taste
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pint fresh or frozen limas or fresh or frozen edamame (or dried, soaked and cooked limas)
• Chicken stock as needed (about ½ to 1 cup)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn or canned hominy, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Fresh thyme, parsley and/or rosemary to taste

In a large saute pan or skillet, saute country ham in oil till lightly browned; add vegetables and saute till onions are beginning to caramelize, then add garlic, red pepper and bay leaf and cook one minute more. Add lima beans and enough stock to barely cover and simmer till the beans are just tender.

While limas are cooking, in another small pan combine corn and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer till corn is cooked and cream has reduced and thickened. When beans are cooked and creamed corn is ready, combine the two mixtures, add herbs and adjust seasonings to taste. Serves 4 to 6.

Interested?

Flier by Arka Chaudhuri