May 3rd, 2008 Newsletter
Bardstown Road Farmers’ Market Newsletter
Sarah’s Corner
From our friend Sarah Fritschner
“Why Bother?” asked author Michael Pollan, in his April 20 New York Times article. Why bother attempting to reduce our carbon footprint in the world, when China and India have barely started their industrial growth? Why bother, when major change requires sweeping laws, and technological advances.
“For us to wait for legislation or technology to solve the problem of how we’re living our lives suggests
we’re not really serious about changing,” Pollan writes. “ — something our politicians cannot fail to notice. They will not move until we do.”
We need to make the connection between our behavior and what is wrong in the world, he says. He suggests many reasons for “bothering” to make change, including, “If you do bother, you will set an example for other people. If enough other people bother, each one influencing yet another in a chain reaction of behavioral change, markets for all manner of green products and alternative technologies will prosper and expand.”
Certainly we have witnessed this phenomenon at the Bardstown Road farmers market. A dozen years ago, it was a tiny market, invisible to the neighborhood and the community at large. Now hundreds of neighbors shop there, allowing much of our food to move shorter distances and burn less carbon to feed us.
Pollan suggests, “find one thing to do in your life that doesn’t involve spending or voting . . . that, come what may, will offer its own rewards. Maybe you decide to give up meat, an act that would reduce your carbon footprint by as much as a quarter. Or you could try this: determine to observe the Sabbath. For one day a week, abstain completely from economic activity: no shopping, no driving, no electronics.”
Or grab you kid’s backpack and walk to the Bardstown Road market to shop. Come with a friend who hasn’t shopped here before. Cook enough to share, then invite neighbors over. Pollan calls it “viral change” – maybe it’s catching.
Derby Day roast asparagus
When asparagus is in season, we just steam it and eat it as fast as we can. But then, there’s always roasting, or grilling! All three cooking techniques produce great tasting asparagus. And you don’t have to hold out for pencil-thin stems to enjoy this spring vegetable. Thick asparagus tastes great, and freshly picked, home grown spikes are much more tender than supermarket varieties.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound asparagus
½ teaspoon salt (preferably coarsely ground)
1 large clove garlic, optional
1 tablespoon balsamic or rice vinegar, optional
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the asparagus and put it in a shallow baking pan that holds the stalks in one or two layers. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Pick up the spears gently and let them fall through your fingers, tossing them to coat with seasoning. If you’re using the garlic, peel it and place it in the asparagus (not in the corner of the pan, where it will burn more easily). Cook for 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender and somewhat brown in a place or two(length of cooking depends on how big the spears are). Serves 4.
Room temperature asparagus: If you want, roast the asparagus ahead of serving and serve it at room temperature, drizzled with a tablespoon of vinegar.
Kale and sausage
The best recipe for kale and sausage is every/any variation on the recipe for caldo verde – the Portuguese soup. But the last two weeks I’ve given you soup with greens, so I will wait a while. Serve this recipe as a main dish on top of or next to a pile of grits (or cheese grits).
1 pound ground bulk sausage (your favorite)
2 cloves garlic, minced, about 1 teaspoon (optional)
2 bunches kale, about 1 ½ pounds more or less
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a wide, deep heavy pan (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat and add sausage. Chop up the sausage using a wooden spoon or other tool, until it is in small pieces.
Peel and mince garlic if using. Add to sausage and stir.
As the sausage cooks, trim any hard stems from the kale and discard. Rinse the leaves with cold water and shake dry. Place several leaves in a stack and cut across them to create ribbons. Repeat with remaining leaves. You should have about 4 quarts. Be flexible – more kale makes a healthier dinner, less makes a richer one.
Drain all but about 2 tablespoons fat from the cooked sausage (I never have that much fat, and often have less, whereupon I might add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add kale a handful at a time, stirring after each addition. When all is added, pour in 2 cups of water, the red pepper flakes, cover the pan and cook 10 minutes. Remove cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender and the water nearly evaporated. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. Makes 4 large servings. Freezes well.
