The Week That Was!

Newspaper - Prisoners pit wits against Cambridge's elite debaters
A news story that was positive and made me a bit teary eyed. We need more positive stories like this. Nobody is born bad or good. We all deal with the circumstances that life deals us. Some of us seem to do fine while some others need extra help. When people like the orange monkey (apologies to real monkeys) and his family get away with stuff that is akin to murder it is unfortunate that the jails in this country are populated with and lots of local governments are run on the backs of poor people who cannot afford to pay their small tiny debts.

Another Study ‘Organic’ Food From China Found To Be Highly Contaminated
If you are buying organic vegetables and if the label says they are from China, will you still buy it? I have learned that we don't have to buy everything organic and not everything organic is even necessary. How about organic ice cream cones?

Buying organic fruits and vegetables I think is a good idea but certain vegetables being organic is better than others. Fruits like oranges and bananas even if you don't buy organic might be not all that bad. Few others like strawberries etc., organic might be better. But would I pay extra for fruits and vegetables that come from China marked as organic? Probably Not! I'd rather buy conventional produce grown here in the US.

I would buy organic from countries who have stricter laws regarding food but from countries which are corrupt and wouldn't care about making a few extra bucks by labeling a product organic because some gullible public is willing to shell out money?

So learning where food is grown is probably as important as reading those nutritional labels. Better yet visit a local farm and become familiar with your local farmer. You might learn a thing or two about where food comes from and also appreciate what you put in your body.

TV
Now that we have cancelled we are back to watching a lot of PBS shows. I have watched Seasons 1 and 2 of Unforgotten and enjoyed it, this is Season 3. Well made and gripping as always.

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Spinach Mashed - Palak Saag - Pasalai keerai Kadaisal - Farm to Plate

Greens should be eaten fresh. I am enjoying growing Spinach in what is called a high tunnel. What is a high tunnel you ask? It is a structure that looks like a green house but is not climate controlled and the walls and roof are made of plastic material and when the temperature becomes too hot the sides can be rolled up. In other words it is not as sophisticated as a green house but gives a farmer a bit more time on either side of the growing season, that is early spring and fall.

This is the first year we are trying out the high tunnel. We started the seeds a bit late because the tunnel was put up only in early March but the amazing this is we have fresh greens in less than 6 weeks. The weeding and watering is long story to be talked about another day.

Anyway I hadn't had such fresh Spinach ever! The first thing I could think of making it was this keerai kadaisal. Back home these were made with fresh Amaranth (thandu keerai). I don't much remember that taste very much since I have not had that fresh and tender Amaranth leaves in quite a long time. I will try growing them for sure in that very same high tunnel when the weather gets a bit warmer.

While this recipe with Spinach I cook a lot because it is easier to find fresh spinach.

Spinach Mashed - Spinach Saag - Spinach Kadaisal
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1/2 lb of Spinach
2. 2 tbsp of chopped onions or shallots
3. 1 garlic clove chopped (optional)
4. 3 green chilies
5. 1/4 tsp cumin powder
6. 1 tsp black pepper powder
7. 1 tsp ghee or any kind of vegetable oil for vegan version
8. salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the spinach and drain the water and roughly chop them.
2. In a saute pan heat the ghee (oil) and add the cumin and pepper powders. Add the onion, green chilies and garlic in about 30 seconds, saute till the onions are translucent.
3. Add in the cut spinach and about 1/4 cup of water along with salt and cook for about 4-6 minutes till the greens are cooked.
4. Let the greens cool and using a hand blender blend the greens as smooth or as coarse as you want.

The mashed spinach is eaten mixed with rice or can be used as a dip. Cooked chicken or sauteed paneer(Indian cottage cheese) could be added and enjoyed as a curry a la Palak Panner.

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Bok Choy Stir Fry - Revisited (Farm to Table)

Bok Choy is one of those vegetables that is extremely easy to grow. It matures in 40-45 days and is tastes great stir fried or in soups. Though I have not added them to dals and curries they should work perfectly well. Bok Choy is a vitamin and fiber rich green vegetable that is readily available even if you are not interested in growing them. Increasing the fiber content and vegetable intake is always a good thing for your health.



The original recipe for this was from a friend.

Bok Choy Stir Fry
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 12 minutes
Ingredients

1. Baby Bok Choy 3 heads or 15-20 individual Bok Choy stems
2. garlic 2 pods (diced fine or crushed and chopped
3. Red Pepper flakes 1/2 tsp or 1/2 tsp pepper powder (add more or less to your taste)
4. 1 tsp soy sauce (optional)
5. 1/4 tsp oil
6. salt to taste

Method

1. Make sure to clean the Bok Choy well and dry them.
2. Remove the leaflets one by one and cut them lengthwise can use both the white and the green part, chop just the hard bottom part.
3. Heat oil in a wok/pan and saute the garlic for 1/2 a minute, take care not to burn the garlic.
4. Add the cut Bok Choy with a little bit of salt.
5. Add the pepper flakes or pepper powder, and let them cook a little bit for about 4-5 minutes till the leaves are wilted.
6. Raise the heat and add the soy sauce if using, stir for a minute and turn off the heat.

Originally Posted: 5/21/06, 2:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time



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The Weeks That Was!

The last few 3 weeks have been busy that this space has been slacked on. Spring time is the prettiest around here but there is no time to sit back and enjoy the prettiness. When winter says its long goodbye everything else needs attention.

Reading has taken a back seat but found some interesting stuff to watch on TV.


TV
The Fix

Do you remember the OJ Simpson trial? Then you should remember the much maligned Marcia Clark the prosecutor. It probably was not conceivable at that time since every comedian in town was making fun of her, but it is not surprising that she landed in Hollywood. She is also an author now, so she co-wrote and produces this short series. Go Marcia! I am big fan of legal thrillers so it goes without saying that I am watching this now.

Newspaper
Saw this interesting article in the newspaper and articles like this always are good to read.
Washington Post - This Appalachian town was America’s ‘fattest city.’ Here’s how it slimmed down.






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