Meatless Mondays: Garlic Scapes

If you've ever forgotten to cook a bulb of garlic and noticed the green stem sprouting from the cloves, then you've seen a garlic scape in its earliest stage.  If planted and left to grow, the scape will collect air and sunshine to help the garlic plant grow.  As the plant matures, the scape will curl as it grows to produce a flowering bulb.  Garlic farmers frequently cut the curly flowering stems in order to promote growth of the underground garlic bulb.  Tender and milder in flavor than garlic cloves, garlic scapes can be enjoyed raw or cooked.

Terrible iPhone photo of scapes at the farmers' market

The scapes are low in fat and, if you eat enough of them, a good source of protein (the building blocks of cells), vitamin C (anti-oxidant and immune system booster), vitamin B6 (important for metabolism of almost everything), calcium (strong bones, nerve transmission, regulation of heart muscle function), iron (oxygen transportation, immune and brain function), manganese (energy metabolism), and selenium (anti-oxidant).  The sulfuric compounds that give garlic its distinctive aroma are the same characteristics responsible for many of garlic's health benefits.  Research indicates that garlic has anti-inflammatory properties and can promote cardiovascular health.  Eating garlic daily has also been associated with a lower risk of developing some cancers.

The lovely coworker who supplies me with real free-range eggs (another post for later) brought me some scapes from her upstate garden last week.  It’s only a few pieces, but I already have big plans for them.  I like to chop several scapes into 1-inch pieces to get about 1 1/2 -2 cups worth, saute them in some olive or canola oil, then toss with pasta, parmesan cheese, and pepper.  Save some of the pasta cooking water to create a bit of a sauce.  Another classic use for scapes is pesto: in a food processor, blend 1 cup coarsley chopped raw scapes with 1/4 cup nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, etc.) until smooth and combined.  With motor running, slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil to thicken to taste (start with 1/2 cup).  When it's the consistency you like, turn off the processor, stir in 1/4 grated parmesan or romano cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Other people swear by grilling them, although I seem to lose most of mine through the grates.  Have you tried scapes?  How do you use them?

National Running Day

I usually eschew made-up holidays, but today, the first Wednesday in June, I will be celebrating the fifth National Running Day by doing a loop of my neighborhood park, maybe even two.  For me, running is a complement to healthy eating.  Sometimes it's compensation for less healthy eating, too.  Running is a low-cost activity that can be social, meditative, challenging, and rewarding.  Like almost everything, running can become more complicated than it needs to be, but in its essence, it is as natural as breathing.

With three kids at home, everyday I'm reminded of how innate our instinct to run is, unlike my desk job.  My youngest almost never walks, preferring the joy of running, whether it's down the block or just between the kitchen and the playroom.  My middle child loves to race her sisters home.  My eldest ran her first 5K in March, and she was almost as proud of this accomplishment as I was. 

Why run?  Like almost any physical activity, running is good for your heart, your bones, your lungs, your digestive system, and for your brain.  For weight loss, running beats walking, probably because it's more intense.  It also takes less time.  Assuming 100 calories burned per mile, one could burn 300 calories in almost half the amount of time running compared to walking.  When traveling, running is a great way to explore, whether it's on city streets or in a park or trail.  Although your first few times running may feel like the hardest. thing. ever., your body quickly adapts, and you'll quickly see improvements in your fitness.  Participating in races, whether you're in it to win it or just to finish, is addictive.  In New York City, thousands of people turn out for road races most weekends, and it's so inspiring to see the diversity of people who share a love of running.  The community aspect as well as the sense of pride in doing a longer distance or finishing faster is what keeps me racing and running.

If you're not a runner, or haven't exercised in years, talk to your doctor before you start.  If you're interested in taking up running, start slowly, and enlist a friend to join you.  National Running Day has lots of great tips to get started, find a running group, or to stay motivated.  If you're not able to or interested in running, do something else that's active and reap the same benefits.

Why do you run?

Meatless Mondays: grilling vegetables

Grilled Vegetable Kebabs:  so easy and so good for you!

 I live on the top floor of a brownstone building, and my kitchen gets so hot in the Summer that even turning on the stove feels like torture.  In other words, we do a lot of grilling this time of year.  Where I grew up, grilling mostly meant throwing some hot dogs, hamburgers, or chicken on the barbecue, but I'm trying to expand my repertoire to include vegetables.  Yesterday, it was vegetable kabobs, created with the assistance of my two oldest daughters.  We threaded 3/4 inch chunks of zucchini, summer squash, Italian eggplant, and grape tomatoes on pre-soaked short skewers.  I brushed the veggies with a very light marinade of olive oil, red wine vinegar, some leftover fresh thyme and salt and pepper.  They took about 5 minutes on the grill and emerged with the tomatoes just ready-to-pop juicy and the squashes tender but firm.  The leftovers might get turned into a riff on ratatouille or tossed with leftover bulghur and a minty vinaigrette for a meatless main dish or easy lunch. 

My kids' handiwork before they got grilled

We also regularly grill corn.  We don't do anything fancy with soaking or tying the husks back around.  We just peel it and place it directly on the grill.  A few of the ears get blackened, but this only enhances the flavor.  Portobello mushrooms, a bit cliched I know, are also part of our grilling rotation.  They couldn't be simpler.  Trim the stems so they're flush with the gills, brush with olive oil, then grill and flip until soft.  When they're done, top with salt and pepper of a bit of vinaigrette.  The warm mushrooms soak up any additional flavorings beautifully.  Leftover mushrooms will get sliced into salads, added to omelettes, and rolled up in wraps with greens and avocado.

Grilling shucked corn directly on the grate is the easiest method I've found.

Because vegetables are lower in protein, they are less likely to produce heterocyclic amines or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, suspected carcinogens created when meats are grilled, broiled or fried.  In fact, vegetables are high in chemicals which may prevent the formation of heterocyclic amines or blunt their effects.  Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower may be the best companions, then, to your grilled meat this summer. 

As Summer heats up, think beyond the meat case.  Grilling enhances the flavors of vegetables just as much as it does protein with the benefit of being good for you.  How do you grill your veggies?

Hunger in America

As a dietitian, I usually help people figure out how to less.  Today, I am asking you to help people to eat more.  Hunger and food insecurity remain persistent yet largely invisible in this country.  One way that millions of low-income people are a little bit less hungry is through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which most people know by the old term "Food Stamps."  Another valuable hunger-alleviating program is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, which is also better known as "WIC."  These two valuable programs are funded through the Farm Bill, which is currently being debated in Congress.  Both programs are being targeted for drastic cuts, which will lead to far more hunger among children, seniors, disabled, and other low-income people.  You may be one of the millions of Americans who relies on these benefits to keep food on your table.  Your neighbors or co-workers might be beneficiaries, too.  Maybe you received food stamps or WIC when you hit a rough patch financially.  Or, maybe you were too proud to apply for these benefits but suffered mightily without them. 

The causes of poverty and the intricacies of agricultural policies in this country are too complex to debate here, but what is clear is that shrinking food assistance programs will not improve the nutritional status of our country.  There will always be people who collect such benefits when they don't really need them, but I believe that it's more important to help the vast majority of people who do need help than to restrict the program for everyone.  Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate, makes the case for maintaining -- or even increasing -- nutrition assistance more eloquently than I do. 

Please take a few minutes to contact your elected representatives and ask them not to decrease funding for food stamps and WIC.  You can find how to contact your representatives and senators through this link.

Meatless Mondays: Ramps

I would totally walk by these if I saw them under a tree.

Ramps have been the hot Spring food for the last few years, here in New York.  Come April, it seems as though every food writer in the tristate area can do nothing but extol the virtues of ramps, also known as wild leeks.  Being a contrary sort of person, I was convinced that ramps could not be worth the hype.  They seemed to be part of the trend for extremely local, seasonal food that is sometimes worth the extra time and money but is mostly just about establishing credibility.  And then I saw Smitten Kitchen's recipe -- and photos -- for ramp pizza.  Maybe it was just her luscious photography.  Maybe it was the way she described the ramp leaves as being like the best kind of kale chips.  Regardless, I realized it was time to embrace the trend.

My pizza wasn't quite as pretty as Smitten Kitchen's but the sauteed bulbs and roasted leaves were delicious.  The bulbs were sweet, almost like braised leeks, and the leaves were green and mellow.  Since I didn't use all of the ramps, I ate the leftover cooked ramps in a delicious omelet with a bit of pecorino.

The second batch of ramps got turned into ramp pesto, from the Food52 Cookbook, a Mother's Day present.  I followed the recipe exactly, toasting walnuts and using raw ramp bulbs and leaves.  It's got an almost garlicky bite, which has been delicious with pork tenderloin, toast, scrambled eggs, roasted fingerling potatoes, and even baked tilapia.  If I were to do it again, I would blanch the bulbs briefly just to tame the flavor a bit.  I might try it with different nuts, too, maybe blanched almonds for some sweetness to balance the raw ramp flavor more. 

Washed, dried, sliced ramps

The finished pesto:  so many uses!

 









 

There isn't a whole lot of information about the health benefits of ramps, but they are, like most vegetables, low in calories and high in fiber.  Ramps are also a good source of iron and vitamins A and C.  As a member of the allium family, which includes onions and garlic, ramps are also rich in sulfuric compounds, which are good for the heart and cardiovascular system. 

Ramps used to be foraged in the Spring from fertile soil under deciduous trees, but now you can easily find cultivated ramps.  Having never tried the foraged kind, I can't speak to any taste differences.  I've found various sources for the name ramp.  It could be Old English or Old German, maybe even ancient Greek.  If you're really curious, go to this Bon Appetit site to get your etymology geek on.  According to this site, the name of the city Chicago comes from a Native American word for the plant, shika'ko, which used to grow ramp-ant in that area.

Ramps' short growing season usually lasts through May.  Since we've had a cool Spring, I'm hoping the season will last longer, giving me a chance to finally explore all the possibilities and join the ramp fan club.  I'm looking forward to trying grilled ramps, sauteed ramps with pasta, fresh ramps wilted into risotto, and.....  What's your favorite ramp recipe?  Are there other spring vegetables I should feature?
 

Summer Food Safety

Image from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth+barbecue

I'm writing this on a cold, rainy, gray day with an equally dismal forecast for the Memorial Day weekend.  This weekend is usually the start of outdoor eating season.  If you're lucky, it already is where you are.  Maybe you're planning a picnic or you're taking some food to a barbecue. Perhaps you're packing snacks for a long road trip.  In anticipation of some not-too-distant future picnic and barbecue season, here are some pointers for preventing bad food from ruining your weekend or your summer.  

1.  Keep hot food hot and cold food cold as much as possible.  Most food-poisoning bugs like the same temperatures we do:  40-140° degrees F.  Well, I don't like anything over 80°, but you get the idea.  Food safety experts call this the Danger Zone.

2.  Don't leave food sitting out for more than 2 hours.  The longer food sits at room or air temperature, the closer the food's temperature gets to the bacteria's preferred temperature.  One way to more safely put hot food away is to divide it into smaller containers, which will cool more quickly due to greater surface area.

3.   Cook your meat thoroughly.  Invest in a meat thermometer and learn what safe temperatures are. Refer to this handy chart to find the different safe cooking temperatures for different meats.  Generally, 165° for chicken, 140° for pork, 145° for steaks, and 160° for ground meat.  Fish should flake easily when fully cooked.   

4.  Don't defrost foods on the counter.  Maybe you stocked up on ground turkey or steaks when they were on sale, waiting for the first opportunity to grill.  Ideally, you will take your frozen packs of protein out of the freezer a day or two before you need them and defrost them in the refrigerator.  If you didn't leave enough time, you can defrost them under cool running water or in the microwave.  Once you've defrosted meat, cook it right away and don't put it back in the freezer.

5.  Don't marinate foods on the counter, either.  See point 1 about the Danger Zone.

6.  Keep clean.  Use separate cutting boards for raw meat and vegetables.  Wash hands and surfaces frequently.  Clean up as you go along.  When it's time to eat, encourage everyone to wash hands or at a minimum offer sanitizing wipes or gels.

7.  If you're traveling with foods, pack cold foods directly from your fridge to your cooler.  Use plenty of ice packs or bagged ice.  If your cooler isn't full, add more ice.  Consider using a separate cooler for drinks.  Every time you open a cooler, cold air escapes, warming up the temperature inside the cooler.  You can use a cooler to keep hot dishes hot, too.  Wrap hot dishes up in dish towels or blankets for insulation. 

End of lecture.  Enjoy your summer eating!  Share your favorite picnic and grilling ideas!
 

Eat and Run

When I was trying to decide on a name for this blog, I almost called it "Eat and Run," since this seems to be all I do.  Eat, run, work, sleep, nag kids and husband, repeat. 

This past weekend, I ran my fifth half marathon, and for the first time, I didn't get debilitating cramps.  The past four long races have been fine for the first 9 miles or so, but then my quads or calves or both tighten up.  For this race, I'm still trying to figure out what I did differently so I can do it again.  My breakfast was the same.  I increased my refined carb intake (think pancakes, sandwiches, oatmeal) in the few days before the race  as usual.  I stopped at most but not all of the fluid stations and had my new favorite energy treat, Clif Margarita blocks at mile 7.  It was nearly perfect running weather:  60 degrees, low wind, and overcast.  I've gotten cramps in perfect weather, near-freezing winter mornings, as well as cool-ish summer nights.  I've built up mileage slowly, carried water and sports gels, and still cramped.

Cramps are still a mystery to dietitians and sports medicine specialists.  One study of 210 Ironman triathletes found that neither dehydration nor electrolyte changes predicted incidence of cramping.  Rather, past history of cramps and faster race times were associated with cramping.  I'm certainly not guilty of faster speeds.  The alternative is pretty depressing:  people who get cramps are more likely to get cramps again. 

I know there are a bunch of athletes out there.  What do you do to prevent cramps?  Scientists haven't figured it out, but that doesn't mean there's now fix out there.   More training?  More bananas?  Lots of gatorade or just plain water?  Flat Coke?  This dietitian is a new athlete whose science resources have failed her.  I need folk wisdom and anecdotes, please!