The Wonderful World of Cheese

There are few things I find more enjoyable than cheese. Be it melted or cold, by itself or incorporated into a dish, I consider cheese to be the utmost in culinary delight. When it comes to which variety or brand of cheese to eat, however, the choices can be complex. Cheese can come from cows, goats, buffalo, or sheep. Some varieties of cheese are more or less energy intensive, and some farms even make organic cheese. While I consider all cheese to be good, having an environmentally sound cheese can make it truly great. I therefore hope to provide a slice of guidance on how to find eco-conscious, delectable cheese. Food Miles The easiest and perhaps most effective way of making eco-conscious decisions about cheese depends on the location of origin. Knowing your approximate distance from different locations can help you determine how far your block of cheese traveled to reach you. While there are some specific regions in the United States—such as Vermont, Wisconsin, and California—that are well known for their cheeses, a local version might be just as delightful. If the above are your only choices for cheese decisions, however, it is very important to know which one of these national cheese havens is closest to you. The closer the origin, the less fuel used in transport. If you cannot find cheese produced in your state at your grocery store, a local farmer’s market might be the place to find it. Many farmers make their own cheese and bring it to sell. This fresh cheese can be some of the most delicious and most environmentally sound. The Organic Option Organic cheese is another way to be environmental about your delicious decisions. Organic cheeses are those that have many specific features, including:

• all organic animal feed, meaning produced without chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified grain
• no antibiotics are given to the milk producing animals
• beyond milk, all other ingredients of the cheese must be organically produced

These tight restrictions can yield very delicious cheese from organic farms. Some farms will go beyond organic, offering cheese from grass-fed animals or from animals that live in a free-range environment. These practiced are in place to ensure that the cheese-producing animals are treated well. And so, organic cheese is a good option for great tasting and environmentally friendly cheese. Energy Intense Varieties Cheese.com provides a great deal of information about cheese, including which varieties take more energy to make. Generally, the rule of thumb to follow is the softer the cheese, the less energy use. This rule means very soft cheeses such as ricotta, cottage, and cream cheese the least energy intensive (and consequently the easiest to make at home if you so desire). Those with a bloomy or white rind such as brie or camembert require more energy, and even more for “washed-rind cheeses” which generally have a orange or yellow colored soft rind. Pressed, uncooked cheeses such as cheddar are often considered “semi-hard” and require a more intensive process of coagulation. The pressed, cooked cheeses such as Parmesan are generally known as the hard cheese and require even more energy in the cooking process. The major exception to the softest to hardest rule of thumb is that of processed cheese such as American. Processed cheese is made by taking a previous forms of cheese, often the pressed cooked or uncooked, and melting it down. The manufacturers then add a variety of different ingredients at high temperatures, stretch it out, slice it, and package the cheese. Processed cheese is, probably unsurprisingly, the least eco-conscious variety. So, the next time you peruse the cheese isle or explore the farmer’s market coolers for a delicious luxurious treat, I hope you will consider these tips to keep your enjoyment of cheese environmentally sound. Image Credit: IGourmet.com, The Sun Blog, Artisanal Cheese, Vivant Fine Cheese

Eat, Drink, and Get REAL: First Annual Oakland Eat Real Fest Hits the Streets

The San Francisco Street Food Festival last Saturday was only a sample of the excitement in store for real food fans this weekend as the first annual Eat Real Festival gets underway this weekend in Oakland.  Food, beer, music, and contests are planned for a 3-day celebration that encourages a healthy and sustainable alternative to our typical fast food lifestyles.

When and Where

The festivities begin this Friday, August 28, at 4:00 and will continue through the weekend with full days of food and fun events on Saturday and Sunday.  Jack London Square in Oakland, CA is the center of all the action.  Detailed directions can be found here.

Why Eat Real?

Chemicals and additives found in most of the foods we choose are contributing to mounting health problems, obesity, and an overall unhealthy society.  Natural and organic options can change that, while also improving our environment as well as local economies.  The Eat Real Festival shows just how easy it can be to make healthier choices by preparing 'fast food' with natural, sustainable ingredients whenever possible.  

Participating vendors have agreed to use at least one local ingredient and the festival supports more than 200 local and regional businesses.  Not only are you making a healthier choice for yourself and the environment by Eating Real, you're also putting money back into the local economy!

What's Happening?

The festival kicks off Friday at 4 with an ice cream extravaganza.  The Bay Area's best creameries will offer a taste of some of the best frozen creations around, featuring nearly a dozen local businesses.  Other first day events include:

• Edible Pursuit: A creative game of fun food trivia;
• Foraging and Canning: Gain canning tips from local experts, swap canned goodies with other guests, and show off your own skills in the Yes I Canned contest - including a kids' canning category;
• Live Jazz from Ever Jazz and Anton Schwartz

Saturday and Sunday, it's all about the food.  Indulge your taste buds with nearly 50 local food carts and trucks, serving up everything from tacos and BBQ to coffee and sweets, or stop by the Good-to-Go market for fresh produce and homemade fares from dozens of Bay Area farmers.

Watch local butchers compete in the butchery contest on Saturday or learn from some of the area's leading chefs in cooking demonstrations throughout the weekend, including kid-friendly demos each day.  Live music performances are available on the music stage while the Curbside Cinema offers an outdoor movie experience Friday and Saturday night.

Don't miss the Beer Shed - featuring the best microbrews available.  The Beer Shed will be open throughout the festival and requires tickets that may be purchased in advance for $20 or at the event for $25.  Check out a PDF version of the Eat Real Festival schedule here.

Costs and More Info

Admission is free and includes free access to all the demonstrations, workshops, music, and movies.  Street vendors will offer their fares at reasonable prices, ranging from $1 to $5.  Beer shed tickets ($20 to $25) include 8 tastings, as well as a souvenir glass.  Festival proceeds will benefit local charities, including La Cocina, People's Grocery, and Community Alliance with Family Farmers.

The Eat Real Festival has also arranged several Keeping it Real Dinners, pairing premier Bay Area restaurants with local, nonprofit organizations to create mouthwatering menus that assist the growth of sustainable local foods.  Visit the Eat Real Fest website for more information about the weekend's events, to buy tickets, or for details on volunteering. 

 Images via Eat Real, Sam's Chowderhouse, Cole Canyon Farms

Organic Gardens Thrive in DC: USDA People's Garden

The White House Kitchen Garden has started a fresh veggie trend in Washington, DC.  The US Department of Agriculture announced expanded plans for the People's Garden surrounding their headquarters on the Mall last month to celebrate Earth Day.

The current landscape around the Whitten Building includes grass lawns, flower borders, and concrete.  The new plans for the sprawling 6-acre space include a 1,300 square foot vegetable garden - slightly bigger than the White House Garden, flower gardens, and bioswales that help reduce pollution.

The organic garden will feature 3 different types of planting - in-ground, raised beds, and containers - to demonstrate the versatility of organic farming.  The garden is designed to be an educational tool for both farmers and the general public, but will also supply fresh, organic vegetables to local food banks.  

The People's Garden will produce a variety of seasonal foods.  Squash and tomatoes are part of the summer harvest line-up, while kale, spinach, and lettuce are a few plants planned for cooler months.  The garden will also include a traditional American Indian planting called a 'three sisters garden', featuring pole beans, corn, and squash in a sustainable arrangement.  

Organic farming is the first step to a healthier nation and a sustainable planet.  The USDA People's Garden shows us just how easy it is to grow our own fresh fruits and vegetables at home - if you're not sure what's in your soil (chemicals, contaminants, etc.), consider a raised planting area; when space is a concern, plant a container garden.  

The garden's visionary, secretary Tom Vilsack, said to the Washington Post, "... nothing tastes better than a tomato you grow."  A small, organic container garden is a great place to start wherever you are!

Source:The Philadelphia Inquirer

Images: NatalieMaynor, Abri_Beluga

Spring Planting: CSAs Share the Farm

Fresh, organic, and local produce is the best way to connect with nature, eat well, and act sustainably in the food system. But what if a victory garden is not your style or you live someplace where even container tomatoes feel too complicated? Perhaps a CSA – Community Supported Agriculture – is the answer and now is the time to join. You can find a CSA in your area by going to the Local Harvest website and putting in your zipcode. The movement has is big enough so that most regions sport at least two or three farms and farm-to-table networks have grown so that even urban dwellers have more chances to participate. Most CSAs work on a subscription basis: for an annual fee, you become a member. As soon as the growing season starts, you get a share of the food grown by your local farmer every week. This could be a delivery of a big box of produce, fruits and vegetables picked that very morning, or it could be that you come to the farm each week and select what you need of that week’s harvest. Some farms also provide farm-fresh eggs or meat, always local and often organic and free range. Others offer a co-op like environment where local products from honey to candles to bread and other baked goods are also available for additional purchase. CSAs often contract with other local growers to provide additional items like apples or potatoes that may be too much for the farm to grow, but are available at other local sites.

When you join a CSA, you automatically become a locavore : what’s available is driven by the season, the weather, and the agricultural zone in which you live. For anyone who's not in a year round temperate area like Florida or California, the early spring shares are often full of leafy greens and fresh baby peas followed by local berries, while August often heralds an abundance of squash, tomatoes, and corn. Eating foods in season is sustainable for the land and more healthful for humans. Most farms offer good information and recipes to help you adjust to eating according to the farm seasons. Others offer a chance to contribute to the well being of your community: some CSAs like the Food Bank Farm of Western Massachusetts (pictured here) contribute more than half of their harvest to food pantries and shelters, providing those in need with fresh, organic foods that are usually so difficult for hunger relief organizations to offer. Click here to read a bit more about CSAs and here for more information about Local Harvest. photo credit: Zoe Rubinstein

Follow the Food

As promised, in the hopes of staying well informed on green issues, here are some of the food-related websites and blogs I follow on a regular basis.  You won't find too many of the yummy recipe or travel and eat blogs here -- there are plenty of them, that's for sure.  I do tend to read these the way I read novels -- for escapism rather than real cooking -- although I can attest to the good and functional recipes on Gluten-Free Girl,  No Gluten Required, and Chocolate and Zucchini.  The Accidental Hedonist is definitely not organic, but the recipes are so interesting, you can translate them into sustainble gems easily enough,.  I've also got a fascination with Japanese bento lunch boxes (more on that another day...) and always check one or two blog to see what the bento folks are making this week.

But on to the real work of thinking about sustainability, food, and news.  First and foremost, the person whose writing always teaches me something new --- and debunks any food industry myths I might be inclined to believe -- is the incomparable Marion Nestle.  Her work as a nutritionist, food policy analyst, and tireless public advocate combine at her site, Food Politics.

The Sustainable Table is also a great news source, especially for different locales around the US.  I particularly like the main site for shopping information and unique insights that are not time-dependent. Local Harvest provides a great directory of what's happening in specific regions.  The blog at Yale's Sustainable Food Project also is worth checking every so often, as it offers a great combination of research and practice. In the same vein, Slow Food's main site has exciting programs and news. 

With a more hard-edged news focus, Sustainable Food News is aimed at professionals in the organic food service industry, but it's a great place to learn about new trends.  One of the most under-appreciated source of news is our government: the USDA's newsroom is full of interesting summaries of new research, trends in agriculture and food production, and consumer behavior. If you're willing to sort through even more factual data, try ScienceDaily's site.   The Organic Consumer's Association always has good food activism information.  For up-to-date information on sustainable seafood, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium's site.

Just remember: sometimes the most interesting information comes from sources that don't have beautiful photographs of vegetables and cakes...