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New Online Column at ediblechesapeake.com
Feature debuts with column from farmer/activist Mike Tabor
 In addition to recipes and articles from some of our previous print issues and a frequently updated calendar of local food events, we've got a new editorial feature called "On My Plate," where guest commentators share their thoughts about issues, policies and challenges facing the local food community.
Find out what Tabor, who has been farming and politically agitating for decades (and who is pictured at left with his farm manager Charmaine Peters), has to say about activism, food in school lunches, equitable food distribution and access, Bon Appetit Management Company, the Transition Towns movement, President Obama's eating habits and more at www.ediblechesapeake.com. |
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MD Advises Some Not to Eat Atlantic Rockfish
Bay Rockfish Advisory Separate
 Last week, Maryland's Department of the Environment (MDE) and other eastern coastal states advised certain populations including young children and women of child-bearing age to avoid eating rockfish caught through recreational fishing in the Atlantic.
"Sensitive populations such as pregnant women, women of childbearing age, nursing mothers, and children six years of age and younger" should not eat striped bass (popularly known as rockfish) and bluefish that are "caught through recreational fishing in Atlantic coastal waters," said the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) in a warning June 3. "Bluefish over 20 inches and large migratory striped bass tend to contain higher levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a banned substance that is classified as a neurotoxin and a probable human carcinogen. Because levels at which PCBs are found in these popular fish are of concern to MDE, the Agency is taking this action."
MDE mainly wants people to consider their overall consumption and cumulative exposure to contaminants over their entire lifetime, says MDE's Science Services Director Rich Eskin. "This is not an acute issue like salmonella," he notes. The new advisory was prompted by a 2008 report and was done in concert with other states to ensure a consistent policy on recreationally caught rockfish up and down the East Coast.
Rockfish caught in the Chesapeake Bay are under a different, slightly less stringent advisory, which had already been established. "This new advisory was only for the coastal fish," says Eskin. "The average concentration of PCBs in the fish appears to be lower in the Bay," he says. Rockfish caught through commercial means aren't discussed in the advisory, because jurisdiction for those fish lies with the federal government. Interstate commerce is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, Eskin notes. According to the new advisory, "The general population should eat no more than one meal (eight ounces per adult and three ounces per child) per month of striped bass, and one meal every other month of bluefish." For the new advisory of coastal rockfish, click here. For the general fish advisory, including info on rockfish in the Bay, go here. |
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Summer: Time to Freeze!  While you're reveling in summer berry desserts and fresh tomato salads, don't forget to save some of those little orbs of summer for later in the year. Freezing is the perfect way to preserve both berries and tomatoes, with very little effort. Just rinse them off, remove the caps of strawberries and cut out the stems of tomatoes, then spread the fruits (tomatoes are botanically fruits, too!) in a single layer on a cookie sheet, a plate or even a piece of heavy aluminum foil, and put them in the freezer for a few hours. Once they are frozen solid, roll them into a freezer bag or container. They'll add a fresh burst of summer sweetness to your sauces and soups during the cold winter months. |
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Do You Love Your Farmers Market? 
We think the Chesapeake region has some of the best farmers markets in the country, and we're sure you'd agree. So let's stand up and be counted!
Enter your farmers market in the American Farmland Trust's America's Favorite Farmers Market contest. Market managers must register their markets, then anyone can cast their vote at www.farmland.org. AFT has prizes for the favorite small, medium and large markets in the country. The winners will be announced in August for Farmers Market Week.
P.S. - We're cooking up something special of our own at Edible Chesapeake for the markets that get the most votes in our region!
Also the Farmers Market Coalition is looking for folks to complete the sentence "I love my farmers market because . . ." via Twitter, for use in their promotions for Farmers Market Week in August as well. Tweet your answer to FMCorg. Or if you're not using Twitter, send it to info@ediblechesapeake.com and we'll make sure it gets to the right folks. |
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White House Garden "Bursting" 80 Pounds of Lettuce Harvested
The new veggie garden installed by First Lady Michelle Obama on the South Lawn of the White House is bearing fruit, literally and figuratively.
"It is blooming, it is bursting. We've already used about 80 pounds of lettuce. We've eaten it, we served it at a big fancy luncheon that I did for other congressional and senate spouses, and they just raved over it," she said during a visit with kids who helped plant the garden. "We also shared some of the lettuce and some of the honey with Miriam's Kitchen," she added, speaking at their Bancroft Elementary School in Washington, DC, and referring to the DC group that makes meals for the homeless. "The beans are starting to sprout up. We put the tomatoes in," she said. Rhubarb and herbs have also been harvested, while they're looking forward to berries. To continue this article, click here.
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DC Food Insiders Discuss "What We're Eating Now" 
Last Sunday, Edible Chesapeake publisher Renee Catacalos sat on a panel of DC-metro area food insiders who discussed trends among home cooks, restaurant goers and food lovers at the Food & Wine Festival at National Harbor.
"What We're Eating Now" was moderated by Barbara Fairchild, editor-in-chief of Bon Appétit magazine. Panel members included Bonnie Benwick, food deputy editor of The Washington Post; Nycci Nellis, CEO and publisher of the DC food and events blog "The List Are You On It"; Jeff Tunks, DC chef and restaurateur (DC Coast, Ceiba, Acadiana, TenPenh, PassionFish); and former White House chef and cookbook author, Walter Scheib.
The panel agreed that increased availability of local and seasonal produce and ingredients has greatly influenced the food preferences and buying behaviors of local consumers. Followers of Edible Chesapeake's Facebook page contributed to Renee's answer to the panel's title question. After agreeing with Chef Tunks' comment that old-fashioned, fattier heritage pork was becoming more popular and with Nycci Nellis' observation about the rising interest in bison, Renee added, "the tops of vegetables -- garlic scapes, beet and radish greens," and other parts that a couple of years ago would have been thrown away.
"The farmers market scene has exploded and now sustainable eating just makes sense," Nellis said.
Edible Chesapeake contributor Stacy Brooks wrote this article for Local Mix. Photo of Renee Catacalos and Walter Scheib by Edible Chesapeake photo editor Aaron Springer. |
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Stinging Nettles Worth the Bite 
Stinging nettles have been showing up in farmers markets lately, and they are worth a try, both for culinary and health reasons. But, be sure to hold the uncooked leaves wearing kitchen gloves or you will get a nasty burning feeling. Having accidentally walked through a patch as a child, and recently forgotten my wits in the kitchen, I can attest to this fact, but the sensation is only temporary. Delicious and unique, however, stinging nettles are worth the trouble. Recently, I had them in a fantastic blended soup in downtown DC, and my own simple effort to sauté them with onions and olive oil worked well. I suspect they may make a wonderful ingredient in homemade ravioli, though I haven't tried them this way yet. (Let us know, if you do.)
High levels of vitamin C in nettles may account for their reputation as an ingredient of "spring tonic" and as a cure for numerous ailments since ancient times, notes Rodale's Illustarted Encyclopedia of Herbs. James A. Duke -- the well-known ethnobotanist and author who is retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and who happens to live right here in Maryland! -- notes in his book The Green Pharmacy that research shows "nettle is a potent antihistamine" and it is rich in boron. The leaves can be used for treatment for hay fever, asthma, coughs, colds and many other ailments, while the juice of the roots is also helpful, Duke says. --Kristi For more info, go to www.greenpharmacy.com. Nettles above are from Evensong Farm of Sharpsburg, MD, at the Silver Spring Farmers Market. |
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Please Thank Our Advertisers!
Without the support of the local farmers, food entrepreneurs and other businesses that advertise in our print magazine, Edible Chesapeake, we wouldn't be able to bring you the breadth and depth of coverage of our local food scene that we do. Many of you tell us that you read the ads in Edible Chesapeake as closely as you do the articles! Please be sure you tell that to those advertisers as well! They need to know that they are gaining business from their investment in Edible Chesapeake at the same time that they are contributing to the growth of the networks that make it easier for us all to access the best, local food available.
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Read local, eat local!
Sincerely,
Renee and Kristi
Local Mix
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Follow us on Twitter @edches!
Edible Chesapeake is the quarterly journal of the local food scene in the Chesapeake Bay watershed -- southern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington DC, and eastern Virginia. Click here for advertising information. |
We Need Your Help!
Has your local farmers market been Edible Chesapeake-deprived? We do our best to get the quarterly issues of Edible Chesapeake into as many farmers markets in our area as possible, but we know we miss some. If you'd be willing to put us in touch with your farmers market manager, or take some copies of Edible Chesapeake to the market yourself, send us an email at info@ediblechesapeake.com.
Help us spread the word - read local, eat local!
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