Do You Eat Foods Containing GMOs?

GMOs are bad for you. Try to avoid eating them. Tough, you say? You'd be right. Because, at the present time, it's impossible to know which foods contain GMOs. You can be sure processed foods probably do. One way to avoid GMOs is to eat organic and local, because organic foods are not supposed to contain GMOs.

The good news is the huge number of Americans who signed the Just Label It petition have reason to hope: Just Label It organizers claim a new survey indicates 91% of the voters in American are in favor of labeling food that is genetically modified. The bad news? Read the whole truth on GMOs and weep.

Contribute to the "coming tipping point of consumer rejection." Follow these simple rules when you shop. Say NO to GMOs.

While in Cambridge, I found an organic granola that was new to me. What's more, it's local, made in Massachusetts and tastes yummy. Check out New England Natural Bakers. If your favorite food store does not carry this brand, ask the owner to order some. I'm taking the bag in to Wellfleet Marketplace and will report back what reaction I get.

What's Up this Weekend in Wellfleet?

Greetings from Boston, where I’m attending courses at Grub Street. Sven is manning the fort, so to speak, back home. We are lucky, in Wellfleet, not to hear rumblings about a possible end to our post office. That's what happening in Cambridge. Under serious discussion, the closing of the post offices in both Inmann and Kendall Squares. Yikes! I have received a number of announcements to pass on to you, so here goes:

There will be two concerts featuring the Higher Praise Gospel Choir on Sunday. Check the Prez. Hall Web site for details.

Cape Cool is holding is annual Martin Luther King Day walk and potluck on Monday. The 2012 walk will be especially, well, cool because it’s a tenth anniversary celebration. Come join your neighbors at noon and stay for lunch. Looks like the meeting point this year is Prez. Hall. While we’re on the subject of Cape Cool, please hop over to Harriet's blog and think on her words.

And, mark your calendar for two worthwhile upcoming events:

1.) Mac’s Seafood will be celebrating Groundhog Day with a seven-course dinner at Prez. Hall. “A Taste of Local Food: Wellfleet in Winter” promises more than just good eats. Come learn about the local food movement. Tickets cost $65 and will support WCAI and Prez. Hall. The fun starts at 6 pm.

2.) Wellfleet's 250th Anniversary Committee is holding a brainstorming session, open to the public, on February 4th at 10 AM, Council on Aging. I know you all have lots of ideas, so do share them at this meeting.

What do you think of the post offices closings across the nation? Is your post office in danger of ceasing to exist?

Buy Fresh Buy Local Celebrates the Harvest

Not sure what to do today? How about joining local foodies at a Buy Fresh Buy Local Harvest Celebration event? On the Outer Cape, you can learn about cranberries in Harwich or grill oysters in Eastham at Mac's Seafood. There will also be farm tours at Eldridge Farm in Brewster from 11 to 2. Or, journey down to the Falmouth area for fun activities in pumpkin patches.

Food has been on my mind a lot of late. Did you know that the nutrient value in foods is diminishing? Read why in Mother Earth News.

Also of note this week, Time Magazine reports that the Environmental Working Group will rate 10,000 foods for safety. The new database will be similar to Skindeep for cosmetics.

Finally, how do these dishes sound? Zucchini Manicotti w/ Herbed Almond Cheese, Hail Kale Caesar Salad, Living Lasagna, Sun Burgers, Thai Stir Fry w/ Basmati Rice & Almond Butter Sauce, and, for dessert, Pumpkin, Key Lime & Mudslide Pie? Yum! They're all available starting this month at 141 Bradford, in Provincetown. FarmMaid Food's Katie Reed has a new gig. She's serving up great raw dishes Sunday from 9 to 6, as well as every other day of the week. Check it out!

Shucking My First Oyster

When Sandy and Sven left for Cambridge earlier in the week, they left a sack with a dozen fresh Wellfleet oysters in the refrigerator. I'm a lover of oysters, so I sure as heck wasn't going to let those babies go to waste! Unfortunately, I've never shucked an oyster before. After some poking, prodding, and copious amounts of expletives -- it's a good thing oysters can't blush -- I finally got them open.

I ate a few raw, because that's just how I roll, and then figured I should cook the rest. I decided to follow Sandy's lead from the day before and make Oysters Rockefeller. I wasn't able to use breadcrumbs because I have a food allergy, so I opted to use cornmeal instead. The final product was delicious and very rich! So rich, in fact, that I gave myself a stomach ache. Turns out that eating almost a dozen buttered and battered oysters in one sitting isn't a great idea. They tasted so good, though, that I'd probably do it all over again if given the chance. ;)

If you're interested in seeing the recipe or hearing the long version of the story, you can check out my other post here: Oysters Rockefeller Recipe (gluten free!)

Thoughts on Local Food and the Food Safety Bill

Since the weather is perfect this weekend, lots of non-resident taxpayers are around. I saw them at PB Boulangerie Bistro yesterday, when I stopped in for bread. The air was redolent with the sensuous aroma of apple tart and almond croissants, fresh from Boris’s gigantic imported oven. I stood there and waited ten minutes, the time required for the tourists in line to make up their mind, enough time for a cloud of sweetness to descend and follow me back outside, baguette in hand. My hair still smelled tantalizing by the time I reached Wellfleet Marketplace. I wanted to pick up some beef raised in Truro for a beef stew, but it was all sold out. There wasn’t even any stewing beef in the freezer. I could have bought ground beef, but I’m not too crazy about pre-ground, even when it's from a Truro farm, so we had quiche instead. Still, I want to salute the Marketplace for stocking more local food. There’s talk that Preservation Hall will house a farmer’s market or an organic veggies and fruit co-op in its basement, which would be a marvelous addition for year-round residents. I have a friend who keeps repeating, “We are what we eat,” and I remember her words whenever I go shopping with my canvas tote and basket. There's an obesity epidemic in the USA, and I believe it is, in part, due to all the high fructose corn syrup pumped into everything.

The Food Safety bill may reach Congress shortly. It is extremely complicated. From what I understand, small farmers will be in jeopardy if the bill passes without sensible amendments to protect them. Remember all those factory eggs that were recalled two months ago? The mega producer merely received a slap on the wrist, as did the bankers who created the worldwide mess with their credit default swaps. From recent raw milk raids, I have realized the FDA is pro-BigAg and no longer feels the obligation to pretend otherwise. We need our small farmers and local food more than ever. Please take a moment to read this post by a food blogger in the know and educate yourself on this important issue. We are what we eat …

Does your town have local food options? Has your awareness of food and nutrition changed of late? Do you think genetically modified food should be labeled?