a few good websites

Here's a roundup of a few websites I recently discovered and love!

RiverWired
"Good Green Fun." This site is kind of similar to TreeHugger, with categorized and quick-to-read blog posts and articles about all things green.

the story of stuff
This super informative and fun 20-minute video is great to watch with the whole family-- it discusses our consumption and waste patterns, and what happens to all the 'stuff' we have around us and get rid of.

tree hugging family
A Blog Focused on Sustainable and Green Family Living
I just found this blog today and have already spent an hour browsing the fun tips and articles!

poolwaddle food clock
Check out this clock to get a grip on what food production looks like in tons per second.

b.happybags
If you're in the market for reusable tote bags for shopping, etc. these are cute bags made of recycled plastic bottles or heavy weight cotton, are machine washable, and come in enough prints to satisfy anyone! They're made in Arizona of all domestic materials.


julep115 - earth and animal friendly designs
Super cute jewelery with a message handmade of recycled metal and other materials in Dallas! Designer Christy Robinson also has another line of whimsy and organic accessories.

recipe: in season - wild salmon burgers

Summer spells wild Alaskan salmon season, so get it while the getting's good.

And for the record, I will never, ever recommend farmed salmon to you-- it's not very environmentally friendly, and really, it has hardly any flavor, especially side-by-side to wild salmon, not to mention that color is added to get it that mediocre orangy-pink color. Wild salmon is a super vibrant rosy orange, super nutritious AND low in mercury.

For these, I took a cue from the turkey burgers I've made a few times, using some Asian influences. I've also made these without the chili paste and garlic, for a less spicy version, and they've come out great! You could eat these without the bun and just have them as nice little patties- or make them smaller and you'll have salmon 'cakes'.

Recipe: Wild Salmon Burgers
Makes 4 burgers

1 lb. wild salmon, skin removed (they can do this for you at the fish counter)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chives or 1 medium shallot, chopped
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1-inch ginger, peeled and grated or chopped very small
1 tablespoon Asian chili paste or sambaal (optional)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten

4 whole wheat buns

1. To make the burgers you'll need to chop up the salmon. I usually do this by cutting the salmon into long strips, and then dicing it. Take the diced salmon and run your knife through it a few times to get smaller pieces. It's okay if it's a little chunky.
Note: You may notice some pin bones. If there are any that are especially large, remove them with your fingers, but once you chop this up and the burgers are cooked they won't be much of a problem. Plus, hey, extra calcium!

2. In a medium sized bowl, place all of the ingredients and mix well to combine with your hands.

3. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high to high heat. Meanwhile, shape the salmon mixture into four equal-sized patties. If you've never made salmon burgers, these will seem a little 'loose' compared to burgers made with ground meat.

4. Once the pan is hot, spray with non-stick cooking spray (I like Spectrum's High Heat Canola spray). Alternately, you could use a little olive oil, but you'll want to leave it on the pan for a minute to heat.

5. Place all of the patties into the pan, or do 2 at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until browned. If it seems to be browning too quickly, lower your heat. Flip and repeat. I like mine a little bit on the rarer side, so I cook them for about 2 minutes per side. This is also a good option if you will be putting them in the fridge to reheat for another meal-- overcooked salmon is a travesty! But if you like yours well done, cook for 3-minutes per side. Place on a toasted bun and enjoy with your favorite toppings!

Chef Aja T. Marsh News - June Newsletter

Hello Friends!

Summer is finally here and it actually feels like it up here in New York, and everyone seems happier and smiley, which is contagious! The Greenmarket is getting very colorful with the first of the harvest: strawberries, sugar snap peas, herbs and greens of all kinds, tomatoes, rhubarb, and new potatoes! I personally, am really looking forward to doing some canning and pickling this summer. I've never done it before, and I'm super excited about the adventure-- stay tuned to Stem+Leaf for those developments! (If you are an experienced, or aspiring, canner-- I'd love to hear from you!)

Canning and pickling are a just a couple of ways to stretch today's dollars into meals for the weeks and months to come. In the wake of the steady rise of food, fuel, and utilities prices, there is no better time to look into other ways to cut and reduce overall costs...

Shop at your local Farmers' Market
With exception to prepared and baked goods, I haven't noticed a big increase in food prices at the farmers' markets. Sure, prices often seem higher than at the grocery store, but they more accurately reflect the cost of growing food and help to pay farmers' a living wage. Market prices are reasonable, and you know what you're getting is super-fresh, and didn't have to be shipped across the country, or around the world, to get to your plate. Most markets can provide you with most of the produce you need as well as meats, breads, cheeses, milk, eggs, and condiments-- usually at a superior quality to what you find at the grocery store.
Don't know if you have a Farmers' Market near you? Check here.

Buy in Bulk
While prices in basic commodities like grains and beans may have gone up, it is still cheaper to buy in bulk than it is to buy individually packaged items. Most health food stores have a self- or assisted-serve bulk section where you can load up on basic pantry items, cereals, cooking oils, and sweeteners. Many stores also have a bulk beauty section, with cut-your-own soap, bath salts, and other body products. One-up it, and bring in your own re-usable containers (or re-use your plastic bags from the last time) when you fill up-- this will save you a step when you get home!

Re-use Your Bags
Plastic bags are produced with petroleum products, which we all know are in short (and expensive) supply. By re-using the plastic bags you've already accumulated, and/or using fabric bags to carry your goods to and from the market, grocery store, big box shop, or just for lugging things to and fro, you will help to decrease the demand for the plastic bags! And many stores even give you money back for each bag you re-use! For city-life, I love totes that have a strap long enough to hang from my shoulder-- makes schlepping around town with my groceries a breeze!
Check the right hand side of this page for links to retailers who sell reusable bags!

Carpool, Walk, Bike, and Use Public Transportation
Gas is now over $4/gallon in most parts of the country. I'm still pretty young and I remember when it was 99 cents. Driving less is one thing, but there is probably more you can do to reduce your use of gasoline-- which will help both your wallet, and the air you breathe! Look into neighborhood carpools, or take turns carpooling to the grocery store, etc. with friends and family. Plan your errands to be done in one outing to maximize your time. See if you can 'Park and Ride' to city destinations, parking near a bus route, and taking the bus most of the way. Walk or bike as much as you can, when you can. Instead of having to fit a work-out into your day, make your commute the workout by jogging to or from work or your carpool.


NEWS FROM AJA
I'm Running the Half-Marathon!
That's 13.1 miles! Continuing with my running streak, I'm competing in the Nike NYC Half-Marathon next month for charity.

I'm on The Fresh Air Fund's team and am looking for sponsorship-- anything you can give will help to send 10,000 low-income NYC kids on summer vacations in the country. This is a super-cool organization, and I'm excited to be involved.

I'm hoping to raise $1,310. Or, $100 per mile!
Though I think it would be great to raise a bit more- $1,600, which is the cost of sending one child on a great summer vacation. I would be really grateful for absolutely any contributions you are able to make-- every little bit can and does make a difference

You can donate online!
My donations page is: http://freshair.kintera.org/ajamarsh
(There are also instructions there for how to donate by mail)


ANNOUNCEMENTS, etc.
Now More Recipes: Keep an eye out here on the blog-- I'm gearing up to post a bunch of recipes, that will carry on throughout the next few months at least. Now that I'm moved and settling in, and the Greenmarket is so inspiring, I anticipate a lot more on-the-fly recipes to share.

Guest Blogger Opportunities: I am always looking for interested individuals to write guest blogs for Stem+Leaf about green and healthy-lifestyle related subjects, or maybe you have a great summer recipe to share, from your own perspective. No need to be an experienced writer-- just enthusiastic with something to say! Please contact me for more information.

Breathe in the sunshine and be grateful for the day!

think less, do more: turning over new 'leaves,' or, the girl with the healthy reputation

I spent the first few days of this week working 9-6 in an office of a colleague. I'm not really a 9-6 or really an office kind of girl, in general, but I wanted to make the best of it. In the spirit of my recent dedication to stop being late, I committed myself to waking up much earlier and... going to the gym. I'm not really a gym morning person, or okay, much of a morning person in general, but I can oddly muster up the energy and desire when there's a deadline looming. But why subject myself to the early rise? Well once I considered the benefits (missing rush-hour traffic on the train, streets, and gym; having the evening free to relax; and starting the work-day off energized instead of sluggish), I stopped thinking about it and decided just to do it, and get over the feeling that waking up early was self-punishment.

Not only that, but because of my quasi-fear of growing bored, or worse yet hungry, while trapped in an office with only mediocre over-priced food awaiting in the streets below, I also each night prepared an enviable cargo of lunch and snack items: homemade salt-and-pepper popcorn (yes, as in, I made it in a pot), brown basmati with peas, cashews, garlic, lemon, and turmeric, Dr. Kracker seeded spelt crackers (they're from Texas!), soy yogurt and Ezekiel sprouted grain cereal (I love this stuff, it's similar to grape nuts, only sugar-free, organic, and overall healthier. It's the only cold cereal I'll eat now), mixed nuts, and fresh fruit.

Packing them all in various reusable containers and tucked into my canvas tote, I smiled at this image, thinking that 'Hey! These new people at the office are going to create this reputation of me' as being, if not just particularly thrifty, then totally living up to assumed expectations of my 'natural foods chef' title. With fresh market goods, organic green tea, refillable water bottle at my side, and a note to register for the upcoming half-marathon in my planner, I sat at my desk and thought, 'This is a reputation I would really like to have.' So now that I'm finally doing some of the things I've been wanting to do more often (bring my own lunch, compost, use home-made green cleaning solutions), I'm figuring out how else to best live up to my own created idea of what my reputation should be.

Having just moved, I am using the opportunity to implement more overall green practices than I have in the past. I am using all-green cleaners (yesterday I cleaned the bathroom entirely with different combinations of baking soda, an all-purpose vinegar and water spray, and a little dr. bronner's). One of the ones I'm most excited about is composting. I have done this off and on before, especially when I am doing a lot of cooking at one time, I'll save all the food scraps in a bag and take them to the compost drop-off at the Greenmarket. However, now that I have sufficient freezer space (where I store the scraps) and dedication, I am collecting acceptable food scraps and dropping them off once a week. I hope my roommates begin to feel inclined to participate as well! I mean hey, I know I make a lot of easy-to-do suggestions on here, but I also realize it's not always feasible to do it all at once, if it all, and I'm not excluded! So making the at-home composting commitment feels good!


On Wednesday morning, after the gym I breezed through the market and picked up a multi-grain roll from Bread Alone to go along with the Mediterranean tuna salad and market baby greens I'd brought from home. Whenever possible, I prefer to use real plates, bowls, and glasses-- I think it makes every dining experience significant and intentional-- and at lunchtime, I made myself this cute little meal and sat down and enjoyed it.

recipe: Mediterranean tuna salad
I don't really like 'traditional' over-mayonaised tuna salads, and while this one has a touch of vegenaise (you could use regular canola mayo), it's totally optional, I just like it for added moisture and consistency when I use it for a sandwich. Use whatever vegetables you have on-hand, but the olive and sundried tomatoes are most important in keeping with the Mediterranean style. This salad mix works really well just atop fresh salad greens, which is how I usually have it, generally substituting olive oil for the mayo.

Makes 2-3 Servings

1 6 oz. can solid tuna*, drained
1-2 tablespoons vegenaise, mayonnaise, or extra virgin olive oil (optional)
4 halves sundried tomatoes, chopped
1-2 tablespoons chopped olives (whatever kind you like)
1/4 cup chunked artichoke hearts
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup cucumber, sliced or diced
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 clove raw garlic, minced (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (lemon thyme, thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, etc.)
juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
mixed salad greens of your choice
salt and pepper to taste

If you're intending to make a sandwich, simply mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl, eat immediately or cover and refrigerate. Keeps up to 5 days.

If you're making this to top salad greens with, I like to marinate the tuna in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper while I prepare the other ingredients. Arrange your lettuce in a bowl, top with desired amount tuna mixture and prepared vegetables.

Enjoy!

*As I don't eat much fish or meat, and concerned with mercury and sustainable fishing practices, I exclusively use American Tuna as they are a small multi-family run business out of California that only pole-catches Albacore tuna, and they consistently score well below standard mercury-levels, and they keep their product simple, which I appreciate.

fish: eating safe, eating good - habitat and sustainability

This guest blog is part two of a 5-part series about the benefits of dangers of eating fish, and how to consume it responsibly. Janet Watkins is a freelance writer living and blogging from the Midwest at www.insidewords.blogspot.com.
Please contact me if you are interested in writing a topical guest blog.

Wading along the river, sand squishing between our toes my siblings and I were completely captivated by the life we found along the shoreline. Like marine biologists, we studied the activity that swam near the shoreline, following silver minnows that wiggled between the rocks and pebbles. Our parents, sat close by keeping an eye on their fishing lines and us.

“Hey, Lou looks like you got one!” my uncle shouted. Dad moved quickly lifting the rod from its rest. We chanted, “Daddy caught a fish! Daddy caught a fish,” and watched as he spun the reel and pulled on the rod until the end of the line finally emerged from the water. Hanging from the hook a beautiful silver bass wiggled wildly. Dad caught several of them that day.

Later, as we feasted on cornmeal coated fried silver bass served with home fries and coleslaw; we had little concern or knowledge about the health of the fish from the river. But, by the early 1960s the environmental quality of the Great Lakes basin had deteriorated. Today, fish consumption advisories are commonplace for nearly all of the world’s waters.

SUSTAINABILITY

Habitat Damage
The Great Lakes is the world’s largest freshwater source containing 90% of the U.S. surface drinking water. A vibrant ecosystem, fish, migratory waterfowl, human and wildlife benefit from this vast watershed, but excessive runoff, over fishing, and toxic substances threatens its vitality. Did you know that it could take hundreds of years to recycle and restore fragile ecosystems like the Great Lakes? The ocean floor needs centuries to grow back! But, “trawl fleets,” to keep up with our hungry demand for fish, dredge the sea-floor plundering coral reef, habitats, and seaweed with unintentional side effects and severe consequences for marine life. It may be the single most damage done to the marine environment by man. Many restaurants and stores list fishing methods and, there is an increasing call to make this information more widely available. Habitat-friendly methods: hook-and-line fishing, long-lining and trap fishing. Ask the method by which the fish were caught when ordering your favorite from the menu or the market.

By-catch
American consumers boycott of tuna had a tremendous impact on the fishing industry, in an effort to protest and protect the toll on dolphins and other by-catch – animals caught unintentionally by fishing gear. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization one in four animals caught as by-catch dies. Tons of dead fish are thrown out. Dolphins, sea turtles, seals, whales and seabirds are regularly caught, and accidentally killed.

Overfishing
Over fishing happens when the rate of catching fish exceeds the rate at which they can reproduce. Simple and to the point, fish that were once plentiful become depleted, fishing fleets move on to new species, and over fish them to extinction. Slow-growing types like orange roughy and Chilean sea bass are particularly at risk. Check out Hooked – Pirates, Poaching and the Perfect Fish by G. Bruce Knecht for a dramatic global fish true whodunit story about the pursuit of Chilean Sea Bass in the icy waters of the Antarctica. It will cause you to think twice about what you order your next meal out.

Aquaculture
Controlled cultivation of fish or “fish farms” has given rise to what is known as aquaculture. Not a panacea, but an effort to change current problematic fishing methods, the aquaculture industry now produces one-third of the seafood we eat. But, even this approach has side effects. Fish farms can pose a threat to the environment, too.

Farm shellfish
Oysters and most clams and mollusks are farm raised. And, these farms are kind to the environment – yippee! – indeed, they improve water quality (mollusks work as filters). Shellfish require non-polluted water to grow in; therefore these farms are often diligently involved in clean water initiative.

Farm salmon
Eating farm raised salmon – not a good choice. Over crowded net pens become polluted and fish become diseased. Pollution and disease spread to wild fish, antibiotics used leak into the water. Salmon escaping the pens can overtake wild habitats, and the fishmeal used as feed is often made with fish that contain toxins. Bummer! If you must buy farm raised salmon, look for markets that sell organic salmon sourced from the North Atlantic, off the coasts of Ireland, Nova Scotia and Scotland with European organic certification such as the Soil Association a British based agency.

Coming up: Mercury, Pollutants, Contaminants - Oh my!

guest blog: fish: eating safe, eating good

This guest blog is one of a 5-part series about the benefits of dangers of eating fish, and how to consume it responsibly. Janet Watkins is a freelance writer living and blogging from the Midwest at www.insidewords.blogspot.com.
Please contact me if you are interested in writing a topical guest blog.

I love eating fish. It is on my menu at least twice a week. Salmon and tilapia are particular favorites. I enjoy catfish, too, even though I should avoid eating it according to the Eat Right For Your Type diet (which I follow, generally). But the mercury warnings and concerns about sustainability are enough to make a person holler and forego marine edibles altogether.

As a child, I spent many weekends with my family along the banks of the Detroit River or at some other nearby lake where we would drop lines baited with hopes of snagging the fresh catch of the day. Fish was a mainstay. Mercury and PCB levels were not the concern it is today. Greenpeace red lists did not exist. The destructive practices of fisheries that have put many species at high risk were not widely acknowledged nor publicly known back in the day. And, while intuitively my mother knew eating fish was good food for us, there was no research hailing its health benefits like the Harvard Public Health study, which states eating modest amounts of fish each week reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 36% and overall mortality by 17%.

Doctors and health experts all agree that the benefits that come from eating fish outweigh the risks. But given the ongoing health warnings and environmental concerns, what’s a fish lover to do?

Remember the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland? His madness was likely due to the mercury leeching from that top hat he wore. Before its use was banned in the 1940s, mercury was used in the curing of some felt hats. Scientific evidence shows that many of the hat makers suffered severe neurological effects from inhaling the fumes during the hat making process. Psychotic symptoms and hallucinations were experienced by many of the workers as mercury poisoning progressed. So what does this have to do with eating fish? You don’t have to be in the hat making business to be worried about mercury – it has invaded our waters. And, therefore also shows up in the fish we eat.

Understanding the threats to the marine environment can help us make informed decisions about eating fish. Learning about the pollution issues of our water can help us steer clear of contaminated fish.

Coming up: Habitat and Sustainability