Fried Green Tomatoes...in July

Dr. Wyches Yellow and Brandywine heirloom tomatoes prematurely pulled but ripening on their own.
In an unprecedented summer season of rain and cool temperatures combined with the ubiquitous distribution of Bonnie tomato plants sold from big box stores, the northeast and mid-atlantic states have been hit with a fungal disease called Late Blight.  Known to affect tomatoes (and more recently potatoes) it is virtually making it impossible for people to find locally grown organic tomatoes. This is the same disease that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840’s and its virulence is unparalleled in agriculture and in medicine. I cannot come up with a similar human infectious disease except maybe the plague. There are no modern infections that I know of that can take hold of its host and essentially decimate it within days while being incredibly contagious. It’s been described as a “nuclear bomb” in its rapid widespread destruction. The only thing that can stop it is a long spell of dry, hot sunny weather. As I write this entry, it is raining and it has rained 6 of the last 7 days. The future is grim as I look upon the 10 day forecast, each day with a picture of thunderstorms.

However present it is on my mind, most people are still unaware of how bad the situation is. Since June, there have been a scattering of reports online, in local newspapers and briefly on 15 second sound bites on the 11:00 news. The New York Times finally reported the situation on July 18th and on July 28th they ran another article, this time on the severe impact blight is having on upstate New York organic farms. Typically, tomatoes are a tremendous cash crop and for a profession that pays very little, this is a devastating blow. For those organic farmers who have not yet been hit, the use of copper as a preventative fungicide is not without significant costs. One farmer noted that it costs her $1000 to spray her crop and each spray has to be reapplied after it rains. Adding insult to injury, blight has most recently made the jump to potatoes.

Because of globalization of agriculture, many people may not notice a change in availability in their grocery stores. They’ll still be able to purchase tomatoes. I went to a local farm stand in New Jersey last weekend to find that the tomatoes they were selling were produced in a hothouse in Pennsylvania and they were not organic. Greenmarkets in the city, usually abundant with heirloom tomatoes at this time, fill their tables with other produce. What about us? We first found out we had blight on the tomatoes on July 10th and pulled a section of 15 tomatoes out and laid down black plastic to sterilize the soil. Since then it has been a frenzy of research and daily time consuming maintenance. We had evidence of blight in some of the other beds and usually, if it’s there, there’s not much you can do but pull out the plants. We used a creative combination of biodynamic preparations, organic seaweed fertilizer with humic acid to strengthen the plants resistance, and a foliar spray made with a New Zealand herb called horopito. I even talked to the plants, yes I did. We did this intensively for 2 weeks and it seemed like we were winning the battle. I planned on broadcasting the news to every interested farmer and gardener but then the rains returned and they have been relentless. Two days ago we had a flash flood rainstorm. That nailed the coffin as it enabled any spores to jump to other plants or to reach higher leaves. This time a whole bed of Russian fingerling and Blue Adirondack potatoes had to be pulled as well. I pulled plants, trimmed leaves just trying to buy time so that the large plentiful green fruit would just start to ripen. I spent at least 2-3 hours daily managing and spraying my herbal teas on the plants,so much so, that when I’d close my eyes, I’d see the characteristic olive colored lesions on leaves and stems like they were pasted to the back of my eyelids. Much of the rest of the farm has been put on hold and weeds are starting to become more present than I’d like them to be. As it stands I expect almost all of the 109 tomato plants we planted to be gone by the end of this week. My shift has now got to be fall plantings and the bounty that awaits us in the fall and winter.

In the meantime I think it’s also important to explore the potential health hazards from blight as well. As a preventative measure, non-organic conventional farms are using large amounts of fungicides - particularly chlorothalonil, also known as Daconil or Bravo. No doubt, this will be heavily sprayed this season. Many of you who choose to eat organically understand the implications of pesticide laden foods and it’s even more important in this upcoming season to buy organic tomatoes and potatoes. And if you have children this becomes of paramount importance. Recently, a team of UC Berkeley researchers discovered an enzyme called paraoxonase which is produced in the body and helps break down organophosphate pesticides; children under seven do not produces nearly as much as adults do and levels deemed safe by the FDA may be quite different for young kids and toddlers. Though not technically an organophosphate, chlorothalonil is a “probable” carcinogen, a ground water contaminant highly toxic to aquatic life, a likely endocrine disruptor and reproductive toxin. It is also implicated in “colony collapse disorder” -- the die-off of honey bees across the country. What is even more frightening is that the breakdown products of chlorothalonil are 30 times more acutely toxic than chlorothalonil itself and is more persistent in the environment.

What can one do when the urge for a great salsa or a pasta caprese hits you this summer? Certainly, one option is to buy organic tomatoes although they likely travelled a great distance to get to your market. My commitment to eating locally has made this decision difficult. Beets can be a nice sweet substitute but what I plan on doing is to freeze the small bounty of Sungolds, Sweet Millions and Double Rich tomatoes that started coming in before we were hit. The cherry tomatoes can be frozen on an cookie sheet for an hour, then put into a sealed plastic bag like little marbles and stored away for use later in the season. If you think blight has hit your plants, you can harvest as soon as there is a hint of color in the tomato, wash it off and keep it out in a bright area to fully ripen on its own. We started doing this when we knew we lost the battle.  If the disease is severe and can't be maintained by pruning, pull the plant and either burn it or put it into the garbage as spores can remain in the soil and affect next year's crop.

Black From Tula - a Russian Heirloom which seemed to be the most susceptible. Here, they happily ripened on their ownAny green tomatoes that don’t turn or have a small amount of blight on it can be used in delicious creative ways (just cut off any affected parts and never compost blight infected plants or fruits). Interestingly, the Department of Agriculture has studied and reported that tomatine, an alkaloid found in higher concentrations in green tomatoes binds to cholesterol and lowers undesirable LDL levels in the body (based on animal testing). Dr. Mendel Friedman, involved in the research also found that “an extract of green tomato lowers the incidence of cancer in animals, and last month he reported that both this extract and purified tomatine inhibit the growth of various human cancer cells. Other studies have found that purified tomatine seems to stimulate the immune system in desirable ways.”

In any case, only momentarily in the midst of a 3 hour pruning and spraying episode yesterday, did I contemplate not wanting to ever growing anything again. That, of course, passed quickly and I’ve used this as a meditative exercise in letting go of attachments and went back inside to figure out which seeds I need to sow for the fall. 


Recipe:

Fried Green Tomatoes (Gluten-Free!)

 

My husband noted that this dish had a meaty consistency - like eating veal. I thought it tasted similar to eggplant parmesan (without the cheese). Either way, it was truly delicious.

4 medium unripe tomatoes
3/4 cup fine cornmeal
3-4 Tbs vegetable oil or clarified butter (ghee)
Salt and freshly milled pepper
3 Tbs chopped basil, tarragon or parsley (I used a combo or purple, cinnamon and lemon basil)

Slice tomatoes crosswise 1/4-1/2” thick. Press each piece into a plate of cornmeal to coat on both sides.
Heat oil in a wide skillet over high heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water.
Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and fry on both sides until golden. Remove to plate and season with salt and pepper and serve with the chopped herbs on top.

From Deborah Madison’s indispensable book “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.”

Farmer Pam, MD

Update on Sunday, August 9, 2009 at 8:09AM by Pam

An important New York Times editorial entitled "You Say Tomatoes, I Saw Agricultural Disaster" written by my favorite chef and celebrated local food promoter, Dan Barber from Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

Weekly Musings: Cilantro/Coriander Root

Cilantro, also known as coriander or Chinese parsley, is a uniquely pungent herb used in many Latin and Asian dishes. Though most people use the leaves, every part of the plant - leaf, stem and root - can be eaten. Medicinally, it is used for a variety of gastrointestinal dysfunctions: indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, lack of appetite and as an antiflatulent. It is also used as a chelating agent to remove mercury in the body. It's commonly seen in many natural detoxification protocols but few clinical studies are available to support this use. Coriander has been found to have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic properties in laboratory and animal studies and has been used to prevent food poisoning.  A study from Berkeley California found that the fresh leaves possessed bacteriacidal activity against Salmonella.  No wonder it's a common addition to cuisines of many third world countries. These are all important considerations given last year’s salmonella outbreak leading the the temporary unavailability of tomatoes and jalapenos. In addition, it is a rich source of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Use this this herb liberally!


A lot of people have difficulty growing cilantro. The summer heat often leads to bolting and the ideal growing conditions are sunny but cool days. Finding an area that gets early morning or late afternoon sun, but shaded during the hottest part of the day, may help. You can also as try seeding more closely together so that the leaves provide some shade to keep the soil cooler. If, in the end, you only get bolted cilantro, there are various applications for its use.

The lacy flowers attract beneficial insects to the garden. This is an especially important consideration when growing food organically. We use a variety of different “beneficials” flowers to do what pesticides do - get rid of damaging insects. Cilantro attracts hoverflies which prey on aphids and mealybugs. If you leave the flower to seed, the seed can be used as a culinary spice. The flowers are also beautiful in flower arrangements.

Most people discard the stems and roots of the plant.  Don't throw it away!  Commonly in Thai cooking, the roots are used in soups and curry pastes. What I do is clean and dry the roots and freeze them. Over time, I’ve amassed a nice amount of coriander root to use in my cooking throughout the year. No need to defrost the roots when you need them, they can be chopped and pounded while still frozen.

Peppercorn-Coriander Root Flavor Paste

Use this as a marinade for fish, chicken or pork. I’ve used this with grilled chicken.  Let the marinade sit for 3 hours.

2 tsp black peppercorns
5-6 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (about 2 Tbs)
3 Tbs coarsely chopped coriander roots
Pinch of salt
1 tsp Thai fish sauce

Place peppercorns and garlic in a mortar and pound to make a paste. Add coriander roots and salt and continue pounding to make a paste. You can use a small blender or food grinder instead. Stir in fish sauce. Makes 2-3 tablespoons of paste. Can be stored in a well-sealed jar for up to 4 days.

Adapted from the book Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

Farmer Pam, MD

Vegetables, Not Prozac

Oftentimes in my medical practice, I counsel people on the most basic medicine available to them - their food, and as I tell them, it is this medicine that they happen to put into their bodies several times a day. It’s completely possible that disease can be addressed purely through diet for certain conditions such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, but, it can also impact other diseases for which one may not think would be amenable to dietary treatment such as cancer or multiple sclerosis for example. One of the biggest challenges I face is to be able to change a patients food routine, as many of the millions of Americans who have ever tried dieting know. It can be quite a monumental task. I find that the psychological aspect is usually the greatest barrier to adapting a more healthful diet, not the lack of knowledge. While it’s true that there are varying opinions out there on what constitutes healthy food, I think we can all agree that the addition of a wide range of vegetables and fruits is highly beneficial across the board. A large majority of people that I see know this but implentation and consistency is surely a different story. This is especially true when you start off with what I call a SAD diet (standard ameridan diet), which is essentially brown, white and tan foods; asking someone to incorporate colorful vegetables and fruits can seem alien and can actually be unpalatable.  People tend to turn to their comfort foods especially in times of an illness (emotionally or physically).  The term “comfort food” means simple, informal home cooked foods that have an emotional significance to an individual. There is a sense of being nourished and happily satiated with the particular food and the emotional connection may be tied to postitive childhood associations e.g. getting ice-cream as a reward or a way to lift the spirits, easily digested rice, bread or pasta when one is ill. Though they can vary quite significantly from person to person, they generally tend to be some variation of fat, carbohydates and sugar. There are some interesting biochemical theories to explain the phenomena, one being that carbohydrates increase the synthesis of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, known to be involved in improving mood. So a bowl of mashed potatoes may lead to the release of serotonin thus leading one to feel an emotional satiety/happiness. Much of this theory is dicussed in the book “Potatoes, Not Prozac” by Kathleen DesMaisons.

Why the jury is still out (and will be out for many years to come), the question I have is this: putting aside the possibility that there may be complex biological mechanisms for the preference for fat, carbs and sugar, can we enforce a psychological and emotional positivity around healthy foods like vegetables? Can a child grow up with sugar snap peas as their comfort food if given the right postitive associations early in life? It seems very plausible. My sister-in-law S told me that when she grew up surrounded by farms, she learned to eat and love vegetables by picking and enjoying them right on the spot. She and her two sisters eventually became vegetarian. This is anecdotal for sure, but I believe that this is one important piece of the puzzle and I think the awareness and exposure you give a child is one of the major ways you can overcome a lifetime preference for unhealthy food. We recently had kids aged 4-7 at our homestead. We picked some english peas to try. The kids had no idea that peas, which they had eaten a lot of in their short lives, came from a plant, and had to be shelled from a pod. And when they tasted it, no sugary candy could compare. For the next few hours we had constant requests to revisit the pea trellises for more peas! These kids will hopefully have fond memories and associations with this simple interaction by equating peas with pleasure among other things. These are but simple steps to create an awareness that can possibly have huge implications on their health and the health of our planet.

Many farms have educational programs for children. Nearby us are Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture (Pocantico Hills, NY), Rainbeau Ridge (Bedford, NY), and Sprout Creek Farm (Poukeepsie, NY). I encourage all of you to expose the children in your lives to there programs. We brought our nephew MM to see a 45 minute production called “Clucky the Brave Little Hen” last week at Stone Barns. It’s a story about a factory-raised hen who yearns to be free in the pastures. Clucky makes friends with a little cell-phone toting, high fructose corn syrup juice-drinking girl who hates being outside for fear of bugs and dirt and who finds the pleasure of video/TV/phone/internet far more entertaining. They head out to find a farm that has happy well-cared for animals. While there, instead of pure grain-feed laced with antibiotics, Cluckly happily acquires the taste for bugs and grass. Similarly, the little girl then finds the strange long orange vegetable called a carrot, as sweet and better than her artifically colored and flavored jelly beans. Interspersed with song and high-energy comedy, the show covered all the important concepts like composting, the cycle of life, humane treatment of farm animals, and sustainable farming. I found it so entertaining, I would even recommend it to any adult on its own merits. And, David Rockefeller, at age 92, patron of Stone Barns, was even at the back row enjoying the show.

There is one performance date left on July 12 and special ticket packages include a livestock tour or a pick-your own eggs event after the show.

Farmer Pam, MD

Weekly Musings: Beet Greens

Last winter, when we were trying to plan non-material holiday gifts for the family, I asked my sister-in-law if she'd enjoy a CSA (community supported agriculture) subscription enabling her family to access local produce on a weekly basis from the spring through the fall.  Her hesitation was that she didn't want to be stuck with vegetables she didn't know what to do with or that would require too many precious hours trying to figure out what to do with.  This is the issue that a lot of people have with CSA's - no voice in the choice of what they get.  Probably conjures up, to some, what socialism must feel like: you get what you get and that's it.  But with a little effort, and a change in thinking about food, it's probably a really beneficial thing in the end when you consider how little we rotate the typs of food we eat.  And in my experience, repetitious eating of one type of food has led the susceptible some to develop food intolerances or food allergies.

One interesting reflection is this: my homestead/farm is a giant CSA box and during this first full year of production, I'm feeling the challange of eating seasonally and locally on a large scale.  How many ways can I have english peas, sugar snap peas, and puntarelle (Italian dandelion)?  Just yesterday, I harvested 9 lbs of baby beets of which 6 lbs of those were beet greens.  Only recently have I seen beet greens packaged in salad bags at Whole Foods.  Typically, they were discarded or given away for free from the grocer years ago, but I've witnessed their revival as a "new" addition to the green leafy vegetable repetoire.  Beets can be easily stored in the refrigerator crisper if you remove the greens and leave about an inch of stem in place but the greens need to be eaten in a much shorter period of time.  I counsel people very frequently on food as either part of prevention or for therapeutic reasons and I find myself, like some of my patients who almost exclusively enjoy a brown, white and tan diet, a little afraid of the large mound of beet greens that lay in front of me.  There's the obvious sauteeing of the greens with garlic and oil.  Simple, nice, but over the next week, my taste buds need more to interest me.

photo from The New York Times 

 Here are some interesting recipes I have lined up for the next week, all found on the web:

1. Sauteed Beet Greens (non vegetarian)

2. Sauteed Beet Greens (vegetarian)

3. Roasted Beet Salad with Beet Greens and Oranges (from Epicurious)

4. Beet Green Pasta (from Alice Waters Chez Panisse Vegetables)

If a structured recipe is not your thing, Chowhound has wealth of ideas from many people answering a blog query on ideas for beet greens.

Eat mindfully!

Farmer Pam, MD

Update on Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 8:45PM by Pam

I have to share the latest beet green recipe I've discovered.  It has an Indian influence and can easily be interchanged with swiss chard.  Yum!

RECIPE: Spice Sautéed Beet Greens with Almonds and Chickpeas

Bitter Melon, Bitter Medicine

Some of the choices we made in the selection of vegetables and fruits to grow not only reflected what we wanted to eat on a regular basis but also how accessible is the food itself. When I decide to plan a meal and  I open an ethnic cookbook, I’m often limited by the availability of the ingredients. I’m not about to travel an hour plus to find Chinese Bitter Melon, for example, so I decided to grow it along with other esoteric produce. So what can one do with Chinese Bitter Melon?

Medicinal Uses of Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia)

First of all, this warty looking oblong melon or gourd, like it’s name implies, is quite bitter especially when eaten raw (not recommended). It is high in Vitamin C and folic acid and used in a range of different cultures known as “fu gwa” in China, “karela” in India and “nigauri” in Japan. It’s typically prepared in soups and stir-fries. Like many other bitter vegetables, bitter melon is helpful for digestion. Europeans have traditionally used “Swedish Bitters,” a mixture of bitter herbs including angelica root, aloe, myrrh, rhubarb root, camphor and saffron, for a variety of digestive ills. Its mechanism of action is thought to be through the release of digestive “juices” including saliva, bile, gastric acid and pancreatic enzymes. Angostura Bitters, made primarily from Gentian root, is used in various alcoholic beverages in addition to aiding in digestion as well.

Of all the flavors discernable by the human tongue: salt, sugar, sour, bitter and the more recently recognized 5th taste “umami,” the western palette favors bitter flavors the least. Some examples are endive, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, and brussels sprouts. The interesting association that bitterness=medicine=good for you may hold true here, at least in the case of the family of cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, mustard greens and broccoli rabe). They tend to become more bitter as they mature or when cooked and recent research is continuing to amass significant evidence showing the phytochemicals present in this family of vegetables is a crucial element in cancer prevention and may even be helpful to those with existing cancers.

There are other benefits of bitter foods aside from digestion and cancer prevention (though at this point I’m hoping you’ll be more inclined to add these into your food repertoire after hearing the health benefits), which brings me back to Chinese bitter melon. Increasing data points to this cucurbit’s ability to help with sugar metabolism. You might see it as one of the principle agents in supplements and neutraceuticals targeted to diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or glucose intolerance. Studies are small and not very vigorous so far but what evidence is currently available seems to suggest a glucose lowering benefit from consuming these fruits or their extracts. A 7 week study demonstrated significant lowering of the HbA1c (an average indicator of a person’s sugar level). You will also undoubtedly see Bitter Melon in weight loss supplements but there is no current evidence to suggest that, only a theoretical one. In addition, it seems that bitter melon can also have a cholesterol-lowering effect due to the flavonoid content and will bound to be, if not already, the next herbal addition to cholesterol lowering supplements.

From a non western medicinal viewpoint, I also want to add that bitter melon is used in traditional Chinese medicine for dispelling excess “heat.” In Ayurvedic medicine, Bitter Melon or “karela” as it’s known, can affect the Doshas (the three basic physiological principles that maintain balance in the body) specifically calming Pitta and Kapha doshas.

It is not advisable to consume this during pregnancy as recommended from traditional cultures.

How to Grow

My seed was saved from an aunt but seeds can be found online relatively easily. I’d recommend Kitazawa Seed Co. I started my seed indoors under a heat mat 2 weeks before the final frost date but these can be easily seeded directly provided the soil temperature is warm enough. I’d recommend starting indoors for those with a shorter growing season. They enjoy heat and sun. Remember, they are a sub-tropical fruit. They also need a trellis or similar type of support system as this is a vining plant. Harvest younger fruits for best taste.

Recipe

Pork Filled Chinese Bitter Melon with Black Beans

Ingredients:
1 tsp chopped garlic
salt
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2-1 Tbs corn starch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup water
Bitter Melon 1/2 lb
Ground Pork 6 ounces
1 tsp fermented black beans*
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 scallions chopped and 2 Tbs chopped cilantro (optional)
Vegetable Oil for frying (suggestions: grapeseed, rice bran, canola oil)

Cut off ends of the bitter melon and cut 3/4”-1” thick slices and discard the seeds. Place melon in boiling salted water for 3 minutes then drain and rinse with cold water. When cooled, dry the melon.
Combine 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Mix to dissolve and put aside.
Mix ground pork with the garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, sesame oil and 1 Tbs corn starch and the scallions and cilantro.
Coat the inside of the melon with a little corn starch and fill with the pork mixture.
Heat a frying pan and add approximately 2 Tbs oil. Cook both sides of the pork-filled melon around 3 minutes each then remove to a plate.
To the existing hot oil, add the red pepper flakes and black beans and cook for 1 minute. Add the pork-filled melon slices and add the the salt/sugar mixture in. Cook for 3-4 minutes longer. Serve with rice. Serves 2.

* available at Asian markets

Farmer Pam, MD