ABo Eats, Writes, and Travels

In the United States we grow almost twice as much food as we need. However, the USDA published a report in 2012 declaring that more than 50 million Americans face food insecurity. What does that mean exactly? The USDA defines food insecurity as a “household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” According to the report, 80% of ‘low’ food security households surveyed responded that food they were able to purchase was insufficient to meet their needs. That doesn’t even consider those households with ‘very low’ food security. Where is the other half of our produced food, if it is not going to the hungry and food insecure? The sad truth is that most of it is wasted—left unharvested, culled for cosmetic reasons, discarded because it didn’t stay fresh enough on a cross-country truck journey, or thrown out in our own garbage because we bought too much or didn’t eat our leftovers.

Does a bigger apple taste better than a smaller one? Is a curvy cucumber less edible than a straight one? Are peaches with a few bumps less nutritious than those without? The answer to all these questions is a resounding ‘NO’. However, the USDA has enacted numerous grading standards for fruits and vegetables with little to no basis in nutrition or health. This has helped drive demand from retailers for bigger and more perfect-looking produce. Retailers claim it is in response to customer demand and preference, but many people who attend farmers markets would probably attest to the fact that the non-uniform fruits and vegetables taste just as good—and usually better! Supporting local farmers markets is a good first step in talking with your dollars by buying produce with no discrimination based on optical qualities that don’t affect quality nutrition. And the next time you go to Shaw’s, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe’s, tell the produce manager you don’t care what shape, size, or particular percentage of red your apples, oranges, and eggplants are.

So why isn’t the ‘wasted’ food being redistributed to people who need it? There are some great food recovery organizations, such as Feeding America, Second Harvest, and Boston's own Lovin' Spoonfuls, that recover hundreds of millions of pounds of food every year. This is still just a fraction of the total waste. Farmers can’t afford to pay workers (who are mostly paid by the piece) to pick produce that doesn’t meet USDA grades, even if it is perfectly edible, and most food recovery groups don’t have refrigerated container trucks at their disposal to pick it up from farms, even if it was already picked. The current system of subsidies for corn, soybeans, and other crops – primarily for ethanol and animal feed – do not help feed hungry Americans or make it cheaper for people to buy healthier fruits and vegetables. Wouldn’t it make more sense to redirect those subsidies – even a fraction would do – towards facilitating food recovery? It could pay farmers to harvest all of their crops, providing additional revenue, and deliver the portion ‘unfit’ for market to food banks and other food recovery groups. According to the Congressional Budget Office, crop subsidies are expected to cost us $95 billion a year for the next 10 years. How much food waste could we reduce each year with just 1% of that? 5%? How many hungry Americans could we feed by recovering perfectly edible fruits and vegetables instead of making animal feed and ethanol artificially cheaper? Food for thought…

The Sustainability Certificate program at MIT Sloan that I am pursuing in addition to an MBA has a strong base in system dynamics and operations that can be applied to improving the food system and recovery. The MIT Food and Agriculture Club is also dedicated to raising awareness and educating members of the community about food – where it comes from, how it is produced, and what effects the system has on people and the environment. Over the past few years we have seen positive change starting to gain momentum and events like Food Day are crucial to spreading the word and getting people involved. Bring your friends and see you there!

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Farmers, grocers give millions of pounds of produce a year to food banks ()

Driving through Contra Costa county is like driving through a Steinbeck novel. On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I looked out at the undulating fields of toasted, golden wheat. Even with the AC blasting, it did seem a bit warm. I vaguely remember getting an email warning me to bring sunscreen and dress for hot weather. being from Puerto Rico, I assumed they were exaggerating a bit, but then I looked at the external temperature reading on the dashboard and it read "108 F". Now most rational people would turn up the AC and stay keep driving. But there was this really cool barn with an American flag painted on the side that I wanted to take a picture of. So I pulled over and jumped out on a turnout and jogged back to the barn, laughing at how hot it really was. I was not to be deterred from my first ever Outstanding in The Field dinner.

The mission of OITF is to "reconnect diners to the land and the origins of their food, and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it." They partner local farms with top chefs and set one long continuous table outdoors on the farm property. 

Arriving at Knoll Farms outside of Brentwood I was greeted by a friendly guy who didn't seem so unhappy to be roasting in the sun while directing people towards the sheltered canopy where hors d'oeuvres and wine were being served. It was remarkable how the temperature dropped a good 15 degrees after entering the shaded natural stone courtyard. We were welcomed by shots of a refreshingly cool soup of white nectarine and apricots with a little sprig of dill and a drop of lemon olive oil. Cline Cellars out of Sonoma was providing the wine pairings and had a crisp and citrusy viognier to start. A rosemary pizzeta with Adriatic figs and a dollop of goat cheese was definitely my favorite of the appetizers. 

After an hour or so of socializing and meeting the 60 or so other guests for this vegetarian dinner, we heard a few words from Jim Denevan, the founder of OITF. From his beginnings as a surfer and line cook, Jim has never lost his laid back surfer vibe. His right-hand woman, Leah, is really the brains of the operation (honestly stated by Jim) and makes everything run smoothly. Rick Knoll, the owner of Knoll Farm, then shared with us his philosophy of completely and truly organic and biodynamic agriculture. He used no chemicals AT ALL on his farm and believes in a healthy ecosystem producing great fruits and vegetables. He and his wife, Kristie, have been nurturing their partnership with the land for over 30 years and harvesting some of the most amazing stone fruit you will ever try. That is why top gourmet grocers and chefs seek out Knoll Farms when they want fruit that tastes better than anything else out there. Its silly to shun or discard fruits or vegetables just because they are smaller, or not as uniform or brightly colored. Food waste is a massive issue in the US and was highlighted in an eye-opening report by Dana Gunders at the NRDC. You can read more about it here. (Full disclosure: I am working for Dana right now on a food waste project)

A tradition of these dinners is that each person is encouraged to bring their own plate. It made for quite a panoply of colorful and varied-size plates dotting the long table they set for us in the shade of the fig orchard. Our guest chef for the evening was Leif Hedendal, making his 4th appearance at Knoll Farm. They started us off with roasted hen of the woods, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms, yukon gold potatoes, baby carrots, horseradish and stinging nettle puree. The mushrooms were so juicy and fresh and the puree added a nice sweetness with a just a hint of kick. 

The main course was spicy braising greens and allia, roasted Brentwood corn, cranberry beans, with basil and lemon verbena. What combination of flavors! You want to get at least a bit of everything in each bite - especially the lemon verbena - because it all compliments the other. The nutty and hearty beans with the sweet slightly smoky corn; the aromatic and lemony verbena with the greens. Sweet pickled onions! I could not get enough!

The salad was buckwheat greens(I didn't know you could eat these raw!), heirloom lettuces, sungold tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, shallots, and the most beautiful edible flowers from Slide Ranch on the west coast of Marin County. 

None of us had saved any room for dessert, but that wasn't stopping anyone. Fruits from the farm- white nectarines, peaches, plums, apricots, strawberries- were served with crumbled rosemary shortbread cookies and some green strawberries for tartness. As if that wasn't delicious and filling enough, they also brought out small plates of just-picked gooseberries, just like the ones I used to stuff my face and dirty my clothes with in my grandparents back yard in St. Louis. 

The temperature had dropped to a balmy 85 F as we gathered our cleaned plates and stumbled back to our cars. What a magnificent feast in a magical setting. Enjoying this meal with the farmer, the chef, and so many people with a great appreciation for where their food comes from was an experience that I truly believe every single person should have. Get more connected to your food and you will eat healthier and enjoy it more. 

I've been in San Fran for just two weeks and already I'm enthralled by the passion for local and organic food. It seems I can't walk more than a few blocks without finding a market or produce stand offering something grown, raised, or caught within 100 miles of SF. It's no longer a trek to find a restaurant that offers antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and pesticide-free organic meats and vegetables. It's a slow food paradise!

One authentic cuisine that I had been missing in Boston was real Mexican tacos. Some people swear by Anna's Taqueria, but the quality of the ingredients there is just not that great. They make a tasty burrito, but none of it is organic or local. Chipotle is not real Mexican food, so it doesn't count in the discussion. Lolita on Dartmouth and Exeter in the Back Bay is a great spot for drinks and modern gourmet Mexican fare. However, it is too fancy and pricey for a quick taco run.  El Pelon Taqueria in Fenway is the closest you are going to get for authentic Mexican. The sauces do lack the necessary kick in all really good tacos, and they put a bit too much cheese on everything, but its still as good as it gets in Boston. 

I set out to sample several different levels of taco, ranging from a late-night taqueria in the Mission, to Nopalito in the Panhandle. Focusing on traditional cooking with local, sustainable, and organic ingredients, Nopalito is just plain excellent. First I sampled the panucho de pollo al pibil, with the black beans smeared onto the tortilla serving as a creamy compliment to the moist and well-spiced citrus-achiote chicken. The salsa habanera gives it the proper chile - not overpowering, just right- and the cabbage and pickled onions finish off the nice salty crispness. 

The taco de pescado al pastor is not your average fish taco. Unlike many cheaper fish tacos that fry or bread their fish, hiding its flavor behind heavy oils and crusts, the fish at Nopalito is adobo seasoned and seared, but still so juicy. Adding fresh orange slices, onion, cilantro and some tomatillo salsa complements it well.

  Growing up in Puerto Rico, I also loved a good empanada, or fried dough pocket (kind of like a hot pocket, but so much better). The empanada con desebrada de res sounded too good to pass up. Grass-fed beef from Five Dot Ranch in Standish, CA is is stewed with spices, shredded and stuffed into the empanada with tomatoes and jalapenos. Topped with fresh avocado, cabbage, and a fried guajilo salsa, the entire package goes so well together.

Now for some something a little less fancy, but no less tasty, pay a visit to Taqueria La Altena on Mission and 22nd. It might not look like much, but the tacos al pastor with some fresh avocado sliced on top are mouth-watering and less than half the price of anything on the menu at Nopalito- under $7 for the two tacos and chips and salsa. Great for late-night drunk eats, too.

For a more lively and trendy atmosphere, I met some friends for dinner at Don Pisto's on Union St in Telegraph Hill/North Beach. There is not a bad taco on the menu. I know because we ordered every single one. They might seem a bit small, but they pack a punch. The size of the piece of fish they give you in the fish taco seems like it would be better suited for a main course than a small soft taco. Everything was very fresh, local, and delicious.

  My most recent taco adventure came in the middle of an afternoon of drinking in Alamo Square on a beautiful day. In need of some fuel, I decided to walk to Dolores Park and see what I could find on my way. Luckily I found a place with a line out the door -always a good sign. Taqueria El Castillito has several locations, but I went to the Church Street locale. The couple in front of me recommended the burritos, which weighed in at 2 pounds and could feed a family of 3, maybe 4. I was not looking for a food coma, so went for 2 tacos al pastor and 1 carnitas, all with fresh avocado slices (I love my avocado!). Very tasty tacos, but the pastor were a bit too heavily sauced, with the oil dripping all over my fingers. The carnitas could have used some spice to it, but I guess I should have put more on. 

It’s good to be back in San Fran after a week in NYC and DC. I did enjoy a few good meals at Hu Kitchen around the corner of my apt (www.hukitchen.com), and an amazing (as usual) omakase at Sushi of Gari.

So I went down to Real Foods on Polk St to pick up some groceries and get some ideas for lunch. Seeing Food for Life’s Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain tortillas, I was inspired to make some healthy wraps.

Organic Greens, Hummus, Porcini, and Avocado Wraps- total time 10 min

Getting up at 3:45AM on a Monday morning is not something most people enjoy. It usually precedes a long and painful commute to a job that is not terribly satisfying. Mondays are usually the worst. However, this Monday, my excited anticipation woke me up a few minutes before my alarm. I was not going to a paid job. I was eager to drive down to Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrenceville, New Jersey to get a hands-on experience at a real organic and sustainable farm. Google Maps predicted a 1 hour and 25 minute drive; I made it down in a little over an hour while observing almost all traffic laws. It was an overcast day with forecast for rain. My sleepy brain did not think to bring a change of clothes or raincoat, let alone boots. Luckily, Mariella Danspeckgruber, the energetic new farm manager tasked with steering the farm into a more productive and organized future, was ready for me with a pair of size 13 rubber boots and a green parka.

Lawrenceville is immediately south of its better-known neighbor, Princeton, and only 90 minutes from Manhattan. However, it is a world away from both, with verdant pastures and dense forest where cows graze on thick grass and clover, and pigs forage for acorns. At 5AM the head farmer, Brian, had already been out in the fields, herding the cows for their first milking. A large but friendly and garrulous man from Wisconsin, Brian had been in and around farms his whole life. He was intimately knowledgeable about anything and everything regarding livestock and agriculture. We strolled out to meet him on his way in, only to be confronted with 40 befuddled dairy cows – Jerseys, Short-horns, and Brahmins – confused as to who were these strangers blocking their path. After some gentle encouragement we got them on their way to the milking barn where they each fell eagerly into their determined place for a treat of some cornmeal fortified with kelp (organic source of iodine) and minerals. Initially I was surprised by this added nutrition. However, Brian explained that the 7-10 pounds of feed they supplement the cows with is a very small fraction given they consume approximately 150 pounds of grass a day. It was also essential to make sure the milk was consistent between the two milkings in the day.

Today we also had to separate some pigs for slaughter. These were not massive breeding sows of industrial livestock production, which are filled with antibiotics and hormones and weigh over 600 pounds. These were smaller heritage breeds that spend their days in the woods foraging for plants and nuts, as well as getting a nice serving of rich whey left over from the cheese production on the farm. These pigs weighed between 250 and 270 pounds and were extremely active and powerful animals. They could easily knock a grown man over and one individual managed to bend the steel bars of the moveable fence and squeeze his way through. By this time there was a steady gray rain falling, which did not make the task any easier. There were three of us helping Brian herd the 14 pigs into the trailer and it took some ingenuity and two attempts before we got them all in. I have no idea how Brian was able to do it alone the last time. I was ready for a breakfast break!

It was already 9:30AM, so we had been at work for around four hours, but no one seemed to be hungry but me. Luckily there was a general store and Brittany, the store manager that morning, showed up a bit early and I grabbed a baguette and a hunk of the Rosedale, a tasty and rich Appenzeller style cheese.

Now, I am lactose intolerant and haven’t eaten dairy in over six months, but I was starving and it was either cheese and bread, or just potato chips (I had a bag of those as well and washed it all down with a Joe’s raspberry iced tea-lemonade). Mariella was too busy running things to remember to eat. I listened while she ran the morning meeting with Brian (marketing associate) and Brittany. The order of business for the day included determining inventory and work schedules for the weekly farmers markets that Cherry Grove attended. The summer season is extremely busy and it is essential to ensure enough supply of all their top sellers. We discussed forecasting demand several months in advance in order to better determine how much of each cheese to produce, given the 1-4 month lead time necessary for production of most varieties. It was great to be able to apply a lot of the concepts and tools I learned in operations and system dynamics this year at Sloan. If I can help Cherry Grove better manage their inventory and revenue, hopefully they can capture more value for their delicious products!