Visit Our New Blog

Our blog has moved...please visit our new Local Matters Healthy Living Blog at the following address:

www.local-matters.org/blog

Local Matters Sponsors Urban Farmers’ Market

Local Matters is partnering with the Urban Farmers’ Market in the University Area. At the July 25th market, Local Matters supplied food and talent for cooking demonstrations and sold fresh and local produce from the Veggie Van.

Andrea & Laura, Greener Grocer Staff

The Urban Farmers’ Market is unique in two ways: 1) it features produce harvested from nearby community gardens, 2) it has a strong educational component.

“We offer ongoing workshops empowering people to grow and prepare their own food,” says Catherine Girves of the University Area Enrichment Association (UAEA), the founding organization behind the market.

Above with UAEA's Girves is Michael Jones, Chef and Executive Director of Local Matters. Michael cooked up locally grown garden greens with whole grain farro to serve to the crowd.

Above, teens from Weinland Park Community Garden demoed cucumber sandwiches as well as how to transplant herbs (center photo).

YOU are invited to attend the next Urban Farmers’ Market, to shop, to learn, to taste, and to support the truly local food system in action. Come and celebrate with us.

The next markets will be held on August 22^nd and September 26^th. The location is 1934 N. Fourth St., in the University Area. Click address for a map.

For more information about the Urban Farmer’s Market, please call Trisha Dehnbostel at 614.738.0819 or email trish@local-matters.org.

Vitamin C in Crpja!!

Belgrade, Serbia: Today we tasted a tiny bit of Food is Elementary in Serbia! I visited a Roma village where the community development non-profit Bread of Life provides a woman's interests/resources group each week. Today a doctor (volunteer, retired) did medical consultations with moms and kids. This is important because many Romas do not speak much Serbian, which makes it difficult for them to navigate the medical system. Also, the insurance system is really out of whack here and many people are confused as to where they can get medical care. One mother most likely has a tumor in her breast which has not been at all tested. Both her mother and grandmother died of cancer. (See more on the health situation below.)

Meanwhile another relief worker, Jasmina, and I hung out with about a dozen of these womens' children in a separate room, to give the moms a chance to speak with the doctor quitely. Frist, we sang and shouted our names to each other. They are a livey bunch! Then, I showed them THIS BLOG and explained to them what I do with Local Matters. Jasmina, translated!

Next we talked about Vitamin C: what our immune system is like in our bodies, how it fights bad germs, and how it needs Vitamint C to work, etc. All the same stuff we've been teaching our kids in Columbus!

Finally we all drew pictures of fruits and veggies. We then paraded our pictures for the mothers and taped them on the meeting room wall! How colorful and wonderful!

Many Roma, or gypsy, children leave school around age 10 or 11. Gypsies have full rights now in Serbia (as was not always the case) but many cannot access social welfare unless they have completed the 8th grade. Bread of Life run adult education for completion of basic elementay and middle school in several Roma villages near Belgrade. The children I worked with today are brilliant. While I have respect for Roma cultural traditions, I hope these children are able to complete higher levels of education. See http://www.breadoflife.org.rs/projects.php?prgid=2&sid=3&l=en for more info on Bread of Life's programming objectives.


Poor diets also contribute to many health crises in Roma populations, said the doctor. They rely on the ever more globalized, processed foodsstuffs at grocery stores, just as many people in Columbus. "We don't have any yards, no places to grow our own food," said one mother. It is true, their houses are extremely close together; there were several flowerpots in window sills and one peach tree that i saw, but not one tomato plant or lettuce head in sight. One grandmother showed us her peach tree and flower bed. She seemed to love growing things, but said this was the first year (that she lived there, I'm not sure!). I asked her if she grows tomatoes--I think of Serbia as the land of tomatoes!--but she said, "maybe next year."

Lesson # 16: North Africa

During lesson # 16, our Food is Elementary students learned about North Africa and some of its traditional cuisine. The countries that comprise North Africa are Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan.

The lesson began by showing the students a map of Africa, and identifying the countries of North Africa on the map. The Food Educators explained that the students would be learning about the foods and customs of North Africa. The students were shown two ingredients that are nearly ubiquitous in North African cuisine: chickpeas and couscous. Students were already familiar with chickpeas from a previous lesson, and learned that couscous, though it may not look like it, is a type of pasta eaten in North Africa.

Next, the class learned that in North Africa, people don't eat their couscous with a fork, but with their hands! Couscous is eaten with the thumb, pointer, and middle fingers of the right hand. The hands are cleaned and then rinsed with a fragrant water, such as rose water or orange blossom water. This makes the hands smell wonderful, and adds a delicate flavor to the foods being eaten. This tradition is born of a deep respect for food and eating. In North Africa, eating with metal utensils is considered a violent way of interacting with food, whereas eating with the hands is a gentle and respectful way to treat the food that nourishes our bodies.

After learning about traditional North African ingredients and customs, the students broke into groups to help prepare two recipes: African Stew ( served on top of couscous that had been pre-made by the Food Educators) and harissa, a Tunisian hot sauce made from tomatoes, chili peppers, and garlic. Students were able to eat a bit of couscous with their hands in the North African style, but enjoyed their stew and harissa with the help of Western utensils. After eating, students were invited to listen and dance to North African music. How wonderful!

The recipes for the couscous, African Stew, and harissa are very simple, highly nutritious, inexpensive and delicious. Scroll down for the recipes...


Couscous
2 cups whole wheat couscous
2 cups water

Bring water to a boil. Add the couscous. Stir and cover. Let the couscous sit for at least 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

African Stew (served on top of couscous)
2 cups each of the following:
tomatoes
chick peas
frozen peas
carrots
sweet potatoes
raisins
1 cup chopped onion
1 chopped green onion
1 chopped green pepper
2 Tablespoons cumin
2 Tablespoons paprika
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the onions and peppers in the oil. Add tomatoes. Add cumin, paprika,and cinnamon. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Serve on couscous with harissa sauce if desired.

Harissa
1 cup tomato paste
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tablespoon hot pepper

Crush the garlic and the pepper in a mortar and pestle or mash in a bowl with a fork. Add the tomato paste and lemon juice. Combine.

Bryant Terry speaking on "Food Deserts."

Bryant Terry is an amazing person and he speaks on his life work with food justice. He discusses low-income communities and their lack of access to ANY healthy foods. Junk food chains, corner stores, all with no fresh options. The lack of access if making many communities sick.

Access to healthy foods must be available in all neighborhoods.

This is an important social movement and we at Local Matters know that food effects all people, regardless of where you live.

Mr.Terry's cookbooks have also been featured here on the blog....smart and delicious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvVhPwBIcZ0&NR=1

Lesson # 15: Africa and American South

Semester two of Food is Elementary began with a lesson that is a personal favorite: Africa and the American South. In this lesson, students learned that the first African-Americans to come to the U.S. came against their will as slaves, they discussed the origins of African-American culture with the Food Educators, and they were able to help create and enjoy a nutritious and delicious soul food meal.

Lesson # 15 began with a review of a world map. Students were shown roughly where they live in North America, and were then shown the continent of Africa. The Food Educators explained that the first African-Americans to come to the U.S. did not come freely, but instead were forced here as slaves. Students were able to understand that for many, many, years African-Americans lived as virtual prisoners with no rights. Food Educators explained that one of the many hardships African-American slaves faced was being able to feed themselves and those they loved. Students learned that slaves were not given high quality foods, and in fact were often given the left-over scraps of their owners. By combining the cooking traditions of West Africa (where most slaves came from) with the foods given to them by whites, enslaved Africans often created amazing and healthy dishes that became the basis of what is known today as soul food.

Next, the students were shown some of the foods that were going to be part of the recipes they would soon be creating (and eating), learning that foods such as black-eyed peas, greens, and molasses that were used long ago by slaves are still used and celebrated today in many soul food dishes. Beyond this discussion of ingredients, students also determined where the foods belonged on the food pyramid.

After learning about some common soul food ingredients, students broke into groups to assist in the completion of a Soul Stew. The Food Educators reheated the pre-made stew's base, and asked the students to chop the tomatoes and collard greens that still needed to be added. The last two ingredients were added , and the stew was allowed to simmer for a few minutes. Finally, the students were able to enjoy their Soul Stew with a side of Hoe Cakes (similar to a cornmeal pancake). The lesson concluded with African drumming and dancing.

Below are the two super healthy and delicious recipes from Lesson # 15:

Soul Stew
2 cups pre-cooked or canned black-eyed peas
2 cups corn
2 cups collard greens
1 cup okra (optional)
1 cup tomatoes
1 onion chopped
1 green or red pepper
2 T. molasses
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T. oil
Tabasco sauce

Saute the onion, garlic, and pepper in the oil. Add the tomatoes. Simmer for one minute. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer over medium heat for about fifteen minutes. Tabasco sauce can be used as a condiment.

Hoe Cakes
2 cups buckwheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 T. baking powder
1 cup blueberries (omit if making savory hoe cakes)
Water as needed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup maple syrup (omit if making savory hoe cakes)

Sift the dry ingredients together. Add oil and enough water to make a thick batter. Mix well (but do not over mix). Add blueberries. Pour a ladle full of the batter onto a hot, oiled, frying pan. Flip the cake after approximately 2 minutes. If using a hoe, cook outdoors over an open fire. Place the clean, oiled blade of the hoe next to an open fire to cook the hoe cakes. For sweet cakes, top with maple syrup.

Neo-Soul Food

My Mom sent me a recipe for collard greens that was featured on The Splendid Table a few days ago, and because I am on a greens kick right now, I was pretty psyched to try it. I made it last night, and it was perfection!

Seriously, these greens are really tasty, and if cooked according to the recipe, they will stay bright green and firm without being undercooked. The chef who created this dish (Bryant Terry) has a cookbook full of healthy alternatives to and new imaginings of old soul food favorites called Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African- American Cuisine.

Here is the recipe:

Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux

Ingredients
Coarse sea salt
2 large bunches collard greens, ribs removed, cut into thin strips, rinsed and drained
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic,minced
2/3 cups raisins
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1.In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add i tablespoon of salt. Add the collards and cook, uncovered for 8 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards.

2.Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain.

3. In a medium-size saute pan, combine the olive oil and garlic and raise the heat to medium. Saute for 1 minute. Add the collards, raisins, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Do not overcook! Serve immediately.