Produce Superstars: Make This Spread While Fresh Fava Beans Are In Season

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I probably don’t need to tell you that humble food bloggers like myself don’t exactly get rich blogging. Not that I’m complaining, because there are some great perks. Most notably, we get to eat the food which shows up on our blogs! And I have to tell to you, I barely got these photos taken before I started scarfing down the subject of today’s post.  Maybe I was overly hungry, but these little buggers really hit the spot! It takes a bit of time and patience to prep the fava beans, but after that, this recipe is really easy. Fresh favas, also known as broad beans, are in season now–so go for it!  You won’t regret it. Recipe after the jump…

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Photos: top–fava beans in their shells (center), on the left are the beans taken out of their shells, on the right are the beans after being peeled. Bottom photo–Fresh Fava Bean Bruschetta.

Gingery Peanut Butter Bars: A Sweet Way to Enjoy Fresh Ginger

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If you’ve concluded that I’m a big fan of ginger–I can only plead guilty.  It’s just that there are so many ways, savory and sweet, to exploit ginger’s intriguing taste and stimulating energy. Here’s one that’s sweet, and can be made with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. These peanut butter-rich bars could be on your table in 35-40 minutes! Recipe after the jump.

The New York Times Takes Up The Hunt For A Great Meatless Burger

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I’m often amused and delighted when the mainstream media takes up a topic I’ve written about on this blog. This week, The New York Times has been writing about veggie burgers. It seems they’ve gone from being disreputable afterthoughts to creative outlets for talented chefs: “…veggie burgers haven’t merely become good. They have exploded into countless variations of good, and in doing so they’ve begun to look like a bellwether for the American appetite. If the growing passion for plant-based diets is here to stay, chefs — even in restaurants where you won’t find the slightest trace of spirulina — are paying attention.” New York Times readers were paying attention too. For a time, the featured article (here) was among the ten most emailed articles on their site, evoking dozens of comments. Photos of six burgers being served in New York and L.A. restaurants are here, and a recipe for a Thai carrot burger, along with reader comments (and more recipes) are here. My entry into the meatless burger sweepstakes (pictured in the photo above, from a July 2010 post) is here. It’s always great see that good food is getting the recognition it deserves–who knew meatless burgers had become so cool?

“You Can Change the World With Every Bite”

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“FOOD, INC.” DOCUMENTARY IS NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD

If you’re a reader of this blog, you are no doubt aware of how off-track is the American food industry. It produces abundant, apparently cheap food, but the hidden  costs are high. It treats animals like objects, degrades the environment, eats up huge government subsidies, and directly contributes to health care costs which will bankrupt the country if something doesn’t change. Needless to say, it’s a system which makes huge profits for a handful of corporations. Even if you are well-informed already, see this disturbing, informative and inspiring documentary and get fired up all over again.  If you saw “Food,  Inc.” in a theater, buy the recently released DVD and share it with family and friends. Having grown up on a family farm, I empathize with the often unsavory choices farmers feel forced to make, and this is a topic I promise to return to often. Find out more about “Food, Inc.” or watch the trailer here.