Mindful Eats

Camellia Oil: Reverse Hair Loss and Gray

Purity Camellia Oil for Hair and Scalp

Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself. ~Leo Tolstoy

I've been working on an exciting new project - a new popcorn company called Pop Karma - so I haven't written as often as I'd like. I promise I'll provide more details on Pop Karma soon.

In the meantime, my dear cousin asked me what I used to dye my hair with since she didn't want to use something really harsh and chemically. Oh no, clearly I've gotten to the age where I should be dying my hair! But I'm not. I have some stray grays, and sometimes when I see them I'll pull them out. Sometimes I leave it in because I think it looks distinguished.

I expect the grays will start coming in quickly and then who knows what I'll think. While I haven't tried dying my hair, I have been using camellia oil for years. My friend started making it around 2004, and I started using it to support his entrepreneurial spirit. One of the properties it claims is that it has reversed graying in some people.

Camellia oil has been used as a beauty product for generations in Asia, and when I told my mother about it, she had vague memories of her grandmother using it. She remembered her as always having black hair, so she called her brother for confirmation. He remembered her having black hair too.

So what is this stuff? Let's start with the facts. Camellia oll is made from the seeds of tea trees. It is rich in Vitamins A, B, C & E and various minerals. It's composed mainly of oleic acid (80%), one of the most penetrative oils, which allows it to hydrate and clean pores and follicles without greasy residue. It allows oxygen and nutrients to penetrate. Camellia is a natural antioxidant that helps protect from UV exposure. It was used for centuries in Japan and Taiwan as a mositurizer and revitalizer. It fell out of favor with more recent generations since it was pungent and greasy.

When my friend first started the company, I told my mother about it, and she spoke to his father, Dr. Michael Liau, one of the founders. He is a retired professor of pathology that specialized in oil at Columbia University. She was impressed and started using the scalp oil. My mother said her hair and eyebrows started growing in thicker. My aunt noticed and she started using it too. I'll note that they think it has grown more hair, but they are still dying it.

I use it, and my cousin frequently observed over the years that my hair seemed fuller. I never really thought about it until recently, when she asked me about dying my hair. Maybe it's working. I thought I should do more investigative reporting so I called Dr. Liau.

Snack Review: Snackle Mouth

Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. ~Judy Garland

A lot of artisanal small-batch granola has hit the market in the past few years, starting with Bear Naked (which is now huge and owned by Kellogg) and continuing on to newer brands like Early Bird Granola. Granola seems to fall in two camps: the kind that comes in big clusters, and the flakey unclustered kind. My earliest granola experiences were at the school breakfast buffet where we had huge rocks of granola, so my preference is for clusters. 

When the Boulder-based company Snackle Mouth offered to send me their crunchy granola, I said sure. The first thing I did when I received their package was look at the ingredients. It's a fairly clean list, with blue agave and brown rice syrup as sweeteners instead of sugar, and canola oil which I assume is a binder. There is also the mysterious ingredient, "Natural Flavors."

To me, a sweetener is a sweetener, and I don't have a problem with sugar - it's best to limit your intake of ANY sweetener. I'd rather have granola without any sweeteners.

Snackle Mouth is indeed very crunchy. It's got a nice dosage of fat per serving, about 8 grams in the Almond Berry flavor, so it is a satisfying snack with great crunch appeal. The ingredients are real, so is supplies 12% of fiber and 4 grams of protein in Almond Berry. They aren't quite as cruncy as Grape Nuts, but that is a good thing in granola.

I tried three flavors - Almond Berry, Almond Pecan Maple and Peanut Cranberry. My favorite was Peanut Cranberry since I'm partial to both peanuts, almonds (also in this flavor) and cranberries. Snackle Mouth is also good with milk as cereal.

Bottom Line: Snackle Mouth satisfies both hunger and crunch lovers with a pretty good list of real ingredients. Though if you are hungry for a crunchy snack, MindfulEats recommends an apple and a handful of nuts.

What I ate: two lattes, 1 orange, 1 grapefruit, whole wheat spaghetti, grass fed beef bolognese sauce, tea, 6 Almond Rocas, 1 green tea mochi ice cream, brown rice, brusell sprouts, tempeh  2 dark chocolate squares, hot chocolate

Exercise: jogges 4 miles, 120 situps, 6 push-ups, 50 tricep pushups, 3 backbends

 

 

Outstanding Natural Foods at Expo West

I had the pleasure of attending Expo West in Anaheim, CA last week. Expo West is a huge (as in monstrous) natural products trade show - there were over 60,000 attendees and over 2,000 exhibitors. As a first-timer, everyone told me NOT to eat too much, but I couldn't help myself. All those samples of interesting products definitely got to me! The trade show had specialty food, pet products, personal health and beauty products, supplements and ingredients.

The biggest trends this year were nons: companies using 1) non-genetically engineered or modified foods (non-GMO), and 2) being gluten-free. At MindfulEats, we're heartened by the increasing popularity of non-GMO foods and a little perplexed by the gluten-free trend. Only 1% of the US population has Celiac disease (an allergy to wheat), and 6% of the population has some kind of wheat intolerance, but the words "No Gluten" are popping up all over the place. Until I develop an allergy, I am going to keep eating spelt berries (whole wheat berries), which have recently become one of my favorite whole grains.

There was also a little chia trend, which was great to see. Which reminds me I need to do a post on this amazing super-food.

Outstanding products at Expo West were:

• Go Raw bars. I have never been able to find a granola bar that I like, but these live sprouted bars were delicious. I tried the granola bar, the apricot bar, and the banana bread flax bar. All yummy. I even gave some of a bar to my boyfriend and he liked it (before he found out it was raw).
• Sea Tangle Noodle Company. These sea kelp noodles are chewy, kinda crisp, raw and easy to prepare. They don't taste oceany at all.
• Greenoodle. These instant noodles are made with unbleached and unprocessed wheat flour, and have Morohieya (a vegetable) added to them. The result is a tasty, chewy fast instant noodle meal that's healthier. I can't wait to buy them.
• Russo's Gluten-Free Pizza. There were lots of gluten free pizza sample, but this one stood out as scrumptious. There were even lines for it. It tasted like real pizza.
• Mamma Chia. These chia drinks were delicious. Sometimes chia can be thick and slimey, but these drinks were refreshing and went down easy. And they're loaded with chia! You can see the seeds.
• New York Superfoods. These chia nut butters and snacks were yummy and loaded with chia. Another tasty "bar." This company is also a finalist for the Next Big Small Brand. I met the co-founders, Catherine and Jason, and they were both really sweet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them!

 

What I ate: chocolate croissant, coffee, chicken, vegetables, couscous, ground beef in tomato sauce, whole wheat pasta, pear

Exercise: 120 situps, 6 push-ups, 25 tricep pushups, 3 backbends

 

Warm Shrimp Salad with Spelt Berries

If you have it [Love], you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have. ~Sir James M. Barrie

I recently discovered a new love - spelt berries. Spelt is a type of wheat, and the whole grains are called berries. They are nutty, chewy, and utterly pleasing. They are so delicious, you should add them to your Valentine's Day menu. Cook them for yourself, your sweetie or your family. They are the perfect ingredient for a salad or a nutty side. I originally found them in a supereasy Food & Wine recipe that called for kamut, but since the grocery store didn't have kamut, I substituted spelt berries and fell in love. I made dinner for three people that night, and we all adored it. Kamut is not off the hook though - it's still on my list to try. According to Food & Wine, this is about 330 calories a serving.

Warm Shrimp Salad with Spelt Berries (adapted from Food & Wine)

Serves 3-4

1 pound of medium to jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup of spelt berries
4 oz haricots verts chopped into thirds (frozen if you can't find fresh)
1 tablespoon butter
1 large clove garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh red chipe, or 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 lemon
optional: 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped tarragon  

1. In heavy medium saucepan, toast the spelt berries over moderately high heat for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 70 minutes. Drain off excess water.
2. In a medium, deep skillet, combine haricots verts with 1/4 cup water and steam over moderately high heat for 3-4 minutes. Or, if you are good at timing, throw the haricots verts in with the spelt for the last 3-4 minutes.
3. Wipe out skillet and melt butter over moderately high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Add the chile pepper and cook for another minute. Add the shrimp, season with salt and cook, stirring until just pink. Add the wine and cook for another minute.
4. Stir in the spelt and the haricots verts and cook until hot.
5. Add the tarragon if you are using it, then squeeze in the lemon.

 

What I ate: udon noodle soup + shitaake mushrooms + bok choy + brocollini + tofu, 6 squares dark chocolate, brown rice, stir-fried bok choy + broccoli + shrimp, 1 piece candied ginger, 1 cup apple cider vinegar + blackstrap molasses, 45 oz water

Exercise: 3 mile jog, 120 situps, 6 push-ups, 25 tricep pushups, 3 backbends

 

Paula Deen is a Waste

  Paula Deen photo from the Huffington Post, 1/24/12 

The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. ~William James

Paula Deen's diabetes announcement happened nearly three weeks ago, and she still makes me mad. I have to take a break from our regularly scheduled program for a rant.

We ask very young athletes to be role models and hold them to high standards of behavior. LeBron James was razzed mercilessly when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers at the age of 26 in 2010. Tim Tebow receives intense scrutiny at the age of 25. Tiger Woods. Enough said. These people didn't ask to be famous - they were given amazing athletic ability and worked hard. Should they be role models? I'm not so sure. What about more mature, accidentally famous people like US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger who was held up as a role model after he successfully crash landed his plane into the Hudson River without losing a single person? Sully was 58 and never asked for fame. He did his job admirably and held up gracefully as an old-school role model under public pressure.

Paula Deen is a 64 year old fame whore that has just been gifted the opportunity to be an inspiring role model. Without a great deal of discernable talent, she doggedly pursued fame and money by shilling fatty fried food and saturated fats. She achieved her goal. That in itself is admirable.

Then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and hid it for three years so she could continue flogging fatty foods that are hurtful to diabetics and those susceptible to it. If she were young and didn't know any better, that would be shameful. However, she is a 64 year old grandmother. Elders in society should display wisdom. If they are fame chasers, they should be role models. Paula Deen makes me sick. She did neither. Instead of highlighting healthy lifestyle changes, she chose to highlight a drug (Americans love quick fixes) for cash.

Ms. Deen also denies responsibility for pushing unhealthy recipes by telling Al Roker, "I've always eaten in moderation." Mindful Readers, this is a joke. Her physique belies her. Ms. Deen says that though she always ate in moderation, she is now eating lighter and increasing her exercise. The "increased" physical activity she is adding? She says she is walking with her husband more (up to a mile!) and running after her grandkids now. People, grandparents are supposed to run after their grandkids. If they were too unhealthy to do it before, that is a serious problem. And her diet? She wants to show you can continue enjoying food. Hello? Whole foods in their prime ARE delicious. What is wrong with her? Just in case you wanted to argue 60 year olds can't be in shape, here is a photo of 62 year old Vera Wang from a recent Harper's Bazzar interview, who probably has no problem chasing after her kids.

What could Paula Deen do? I would be awed if she used her diagnosis and her fame to be an inspirational role model. She could determinedly set her pudgy jowls, look her fans in the eyes, and say "Y'all know that I have type 2 diabetes. Being fat, not being active, and eating unhealthy foods for years did not help. Now that I have personally learned about how food, exercise, obesity and disease are interrelated, I am very sorry for the food I have encouraged America to eat in the past. I commit to y'all that I am going to manage my diabetes with a healthier lifestyle. I commit to losing 30 pounds through exercise and diet. Watch and support me on this journey." 

It's not too late, Paula Deen. Prove me wrong. Inspire us. 

Want to learn more?

• Did Paula Den's Diet Cause Her Diabetes?
• The Paula Deen Debacle on Eater

 

What I ate today: 1 grapefruit, 1 pear, latte, 2 slices multigrain toast with butter, 10 Rising Moon Organics wild chantarelle ravioli + Rao's marinara sauce, biriyana rice + tikka masala sauce, saag paneer, macrobiotic noodles, dried squid, spelt berries, haricort verts, shrimp, 1 Crumbs Blackout cupcake, hot chocolate, 45 oz. water

Exercise: jogged 3 miles, 120 situps, 7 pushups, 25 tricep bends, 3 backbends

 

Green Feminine Hygiene Products: Organic Cotton/Menstrual Cups

It is health that is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver. ~Mohandas Gandhi

This post is for the women. Men, I recommend you stop reading here. Stop. Because we're going to be talking about MENSTRUAL PERIOD stuff.

{Yup, that got rid of the guys.}

So when it comes to that time of the month, how do you handle it? Pads, tampons, organic tampons? I recently found a new feminine hygiene product (hate that term) that isn't a tampon or a pad. Actually, it's not new - it's been around since the 1930's. It's more effective, more comfortable and much more environmental. What is it you ask? It's a menstrual cup, which is basically a bell-shaped cup made from medical grade silicone, polyethylene or other nonlatex materials that is worn inside the vagina to collect menstrual fluid.

I think most women find the product journey to be something like this:

1. Conventional Sanitary Pads. They are easy to use and figure out. However, there can be leaking and messiness involved, and it feels like you're sitting on a pillow so some women turn to
2. Conventional Tampons. These are so much harder to learn to use than pads, but provide so much more freedom once you get used to them. However, they still require regular purchasing and can be leaky. Wondering about the health effects of them, you might turn to
3. Unbleached Organic Tampons. If you have something in you for days, you want to make sure its as toxin- free as possible. Your vagina absorbs well, which is why medicines can be delivered through vaginal suppositories. Using nonchlorinated tampons means less chemicals for you and the environment.

I was at stage 3, and wondering if there was anything better because tampons really aren't all that great. I hate having to remember to buy them, they're drying and they can leak. They also didn't feel green - all the material and energy that went into making them and then they were disposed of. Then one day I read an article about menstrual cups. Soon after that I was at Whole Foods buying some nonchlorinated cotton tampons, and I saw some menstrual cups. 

They seemed weird, but in the name of science, I bought one. What happens to the fluid? Isn't it messy?

After three months, I love it. I can't feel it, it doesn't leak, it's not drying, there's no string hanging around, I don't need to remember to bring a tampon to the bathroom (because it's always with you), and I've saved a lot of money.  I wish I'd learned about them 10 years ago!

What's the downside? The icky factor (which isn't so icky). So here's the unvarnished scoop:

Produce: Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

You cannot build a better world without improving individuals. ~Marie Curie

You know how sometimes you have seemingly opposing goals like 1) you want to lose weight AND 2) eat delicious food?  (Okay, I gave that to you as a confidence booster because you already know how to do that. Eat whole unprocessed foods, yum.)  Well, maybe one of your New Year's resolutions is to eat more produce.  So what if you want to 1) eat organic to reduce your chemical intake in the form of pesticides AND 2) you want to be light on your wallet?

Fortunately, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled a list of the "Dirty Dozen" fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue, and a list of the "Clean 15" with the least pesticide revenue. You can significantly limit your pesticide intake by avoiding the "Dirty Dozen" and eating the "Clean 15". Likewise you can stretch your dollar by buying the Dirty Dozen organic and the Clean 15 conventional. Now that it's winter, there are several items on the Clean 15 that are seasonal: onions, cabbage, sweet potatoes, grapefruit and mushrooms.

What if you can't buy the Dirty Dozen organic? Just go ahead and eat them. You deserve a gold star for eating unprocessed foods. What if you don't have a budget constraint? Buy everything organic since it's better for our environment not to be depositing chemicals on our soils.

Here's the current list of Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 Foods, but check the EWG database since it is updated.

Dirty Dozen

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines - Imported
7. Grapes - Imported
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries - Domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/Collard Greens

Clean 15

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn - there is no required labeling for Genetically Modified Foods, so you may want to purchase this oganically to avoid genetically engineered corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe - Domestic
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Want to learn more?

• The Low Down on Organic Food
• What is conventionally grown, industrial food?
• EWG Database

What I ate today: 4T blackstrap molasses, 4T apple cider vinegar, cheese popcorn, caramel popcorn, olive oil popcorn, brown rice, sauteed kale, boiled shrimp, cheese, 1.5 cups coffee + cream, whole wheat spaghetti + bolagnaise sauce + spinach, 1 apple, 30 oz. water

Exercise: jogged 4 miles, 60 situps, 6 pushups

 

All About Eggs and their Benefits

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. ~Abraham Lincoln

Photo Credit: Delish.com

You know what you should have for breakfast? Eggs. You know what you should have as a snack? A hard boiled egg. You should be eating eggs regularly. Yup, you. Unless you have 1) allergies, 2) diet restrictions (e.g. you're vegan), or 3) disease restrictions (e.g. diabetes). Eggs are little powerhouses of goodness - they are a nearly perfect protein and packed with other nutrients. They are also cheap compared to other protein sources. 

Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse. The protein in eggs are such high quality that all other proteins are measured against them. They contain 18 out of the 20 amino acids, and all the essential amino acids (essential means that your body can't synthesize them - they can only come from your diet) which makes them a complete protein. 43% of the protein is in the yolk, while 57% is in the whites. Eggs are also one of the best sources of choline, which is tough to find elsewhere but important for brain health and reduces inflammation. Eggs also contain all vitamins except for Vitamin C (though not necessarily in significant amounts). And what about the common knock of eggs being bad for your cholesterol? Research has not shown a connection between moderate egg consumption (1 per day) and high cholesterol levels. One extra-large egg contains 7g of protein (14% RDA), choline (30% RDA), and only 80 calories.

What are the best eggs? Egg quality is affected by freshness and chicken health. Most eggs consumed in the U.S. are chicken eggs. You want to eat eggs from the healthiest, happiest hens. Makes sense, yes? Factory chickens that are sick, dosed up on antibiotics, can't move (let alone exercise) because they are smushed in a cage with nine others getting pooped on from chickens above them, pooping on chickens below them, and eating only grain are not going to make the best quality eggs. Go to the farmer's market where you can ask the farmer how her chickens live. The best eggs come from hens that can spend their days outdoors, poking around for bugs in grass. These girls produce healthy eggs with more Omega-3's. Chickens weren't meant to be vegetarians! Find a producer you can trust, and buy eggs that were recently laid. They're the tastiest and most nutritious. Eggs are a cheap protein. Pay up for the best ones. You're worth it.

So what do all those labels mean - cage free, pastured, organic? Pretty much nothing. There are no standards, except for certified organic.  The only thing I trust that to mean is that the chickens eat organic grain. The best thing to do is talk to the farmers at the market about the way their hens are raised. Ask if you can visit their farms or see some pictures.

How can one distinguish egg quality? When you have a healthy, fresh egg, you'll notice right away when you try to crack it. Thwack! That egg is hard to crack because the shell is strong. The chicken had adequate calcium to make that egg. She ran around in open air and ate bugs for protein. Then when you open it, the egg stays tight and contained instead of spreading out all over the place. You notice a bright yolk that sits up high above the white. It's trying to say hello. The whites are tight and thick instead of runny, and you can notice the two layers of whites - a tighter white that's surrounded by a paler white. The highest quality are Grade AA, then Grade A and finally B. B and below usually goes to restaurants and food service.

How should eggs be stored? Eggs are porous and can dry out, so they should be stored in your refrigerator. Preferably in the cardboard carton if they are going to be kept for a while.

Are some egg colors better than others? An egg derives its color solely from pigmentation. If they come from a brown hen, the eggs are brown. If they come from a white hen, the eggs are white. Besides color, there are no nutritional differences. Certain breeds of chickens produce different colors - for example, Platine Bleues produce blue eggs, which I personally think are richer. Try different types as you come across them and let me know what you think!

How is an egg made? Eggs begin their journeys inside a hen, and take about 26 hours to be made. Eggs don't need to be fertilized. The hen creates a yolk as part of ovulation, and it is released into her oviduct. If it is going to be fertilized, that is where it happens. In either case, as the yolk travels down the oviduct, a membrane than the whites are created around it. Then at the bottom of the oviduct, the hard calcium shell is created.

Fun fact - most hens lay their eggs in the morning before noon. None are laid after 3pm.

Tip: Want to eat more eggs? Hard boil a dozen and leave them in the refrigerator for a fast breakfast or snack.

Hens confronted by snow - they stayed in

Acknowlegement to Aliza Holtz for a great deal of egg knowledge

What I ate: 2 slices toast + hazelnut butter, 4 clementines, 1 apple, 32 oz. chicken rice soup, 3 green tea mochi ice creams, bacon ranch popcorn, 1 dark Chocalive truffle, sauteed shrimp + brussell sprouts, 1 cup quinoa, 2 squares dark chocolate, 16 oz water + blackstrap molasses + apple cider vinegar,  50 oz. water + Vitamin C

Exercise: jogged 4 miles

 

 

 

How to Have a Great Holiday

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and difficult as that. ~Michael Leunig

It's hard to believe the year has flown by and it's almost December. Weren't we just making New Year's Resolutions? I confess, it's the day before Thanksgiving and I feel overwhelmed by the holidays. What a brat, I'm not even cooking - all I have to do is show up at a friend's house with cheese and crackers. It's the entire shebang - Thanksgiving through New Year's that has me exhausted. I have eight parties on the calendar so far, and I'm tired just looking at them.  

Time for a serious gratitude readjustment. There are many things wrong with my attitude. Ingratitude attitude has inflicted me during years when I didn't have any holiday parties to go to, and years when I was exhausted planning my own parties. The holidays are supposed to be fun, skinny, and contemplative. The two keys are 1) be grateful for what you have and 2) plan.

What to do: Have a wonderful holiday season

1. Make a list of ten things for which you're grateful. OK, five. Now, in your head. You won't be tested. I do this when I run, and the list has been as basic as being able to run. Now the New York Times reports it can make you healthier.
2. Plan. Take a look at your calendar to see what the next few weeks look like, and figure out what you need for each event. This post from last year explains how to plan.
3. Be nice to someone. The holidays can be lonely for people - invite someone that doesn't have plans to Thanksgiving, to a party, to a religous service or to tea. It may be painful at the time, but you will be glad later.
4. Let it go. Things may not be perfect - you may have wanted a particular someone back for the holidays, you may wish you had someone to celebrate with, you may wish you were somewhere else, you may be mad at someone. Just let it go and enjoy what you're blessed with this year.
5. Enjoy the lights. Be nice to yourself. Take a break, go for a walk or a drive and enjoy the bracing weather.

Have a cozy holiday everyone!

Links:

• A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day, New York Times
• Mindful Eats post on surviving holiday eating
• Giving a gift? Here's the Mindful List
• Mindul Eats post on holiday planning

What I ate: 1 hard boiled egg, 1 apple, 1 pear, 3 slices of toast and goat cheese, 1 cup quinoa, kale + tofu, 1/2 coffee + hemp milk, whole wheat spaghetti, Rao's Siciliana sauce, ground flaxseeds, caramel + cheddar popcorn, 45 oz. water

Exercise: jogged 5 miles

 

Satur Farms Profile: What Makes Vegetables Better Quality and/or More Expensive?

Baby spinach at Satur Farms

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. ~Henry David Thoreau

Do you ever wonder why some baby spinach is tastier and more expensive than others? The answer, Mindful Readers, is care and freshness, as I learned at Satur Farms. I'd first noticed Satur Farms produce proudly listed on many restaurant menus in NYC. When I mentioned them to private chef Stephane Lemagenen of Zen Can Cook, he enthused "Satur Farms grows the best produce I've seen anywhere on the East Coast. From various types of lettuce to baby vegetables and zuchinni blossoms in the summer, the quality and variety of their produce is just outstanding."

So when Emma, one of my favorite foodies at FreshDirect, suggested that I meet the owners of Satur Farms, I jumped at the chance because 1) I wanted to see what went behind the vegetables that are so well established among NYC chefs and 2) Emma has good ideas.

After a couple conversations, I hopped in a Mint Car and drove out to the North Fork of Long Island to meet Paulette Satur. Having never been to a produce farm before, I didn't know what to expect. (Well, I knew one thing - they have a strict food safety program since I wasn't allowed to bring my dog.) After rolling through miles of flat land, I turned down a charming street and ended up at a large, gorgeous farm. Low slung wooden buildings blend into the surroundings, there are trucks and portapotties, and the entire farm and facility hums with an organized energy.

I found Paulette responding to customers via email in the office. After a few minutes, her husband, Eberhard Muller, burst through the door. While Paulette seems cool and collected, Eberhard is voluble and warm. They give off the intellectually curious vibe of explorers - a couple that stumbled onto something they were good at, then worked really hard to become great at it with a lot of learning and interesting discoveries on the way.

Have they always been farmers? Fascinatingly, no. Paulette was a wine distributor. Eberhard was a celebrated chef whose last post was as Executive Chef at Lutece before he became a full time farmer. Having grown up on a farm, Paulette always wanted to own one. So naturally, when they bought a weekend house on Long Island, they started a garden. Enamoured of the freshness and quality of the produce Eberhard brought it back to use at Lutece. Soon, chef friends were clamoring for their produce, and the couple started farming four acres to satisfy that need. At some point, they had to hire someone to manage their "farm", and as demand grew, they farmed 11 acres, then 35. Now they farm 180 acres with 4 crop rotations per year, or 510 acres.

Chefs (and now retail customers) appreciate Satur Farms for the high quality of their produce. It is obvious that their crops are meticulously and painstakingly cared for. When Paulette and Eberhard decided that growing specialty vegetables on the North Fork was going to be their full-time vocation, they were told by 2-3 people it was impossible. They dug their heels in and persisted, tending their land and buying the equipment that would allow them to become efficient.

As we toured the farm, it was clear that everything was planned with great care. In my unexperienced eyes, everything looked cleaner, more orderly and better cared for than I would hope for. The crops are rotated to make sure the land stays fertile, and the minimum amount of chemicals are used. Paulette explained that extreme weather conditions like humidity made it necessary to use chemicals to keep out fungus and other pests. In addition to the production acres they farm, they keep experimental beds for new crops that chefs request or they are interested in growing.

Wild arugula in a resting crop bed

Equally important as the care that goes into growing their produce is the freshness of it. It is of utmost importance to Paulette and Eberhard that they get produce picked and to customers within 24 hours since fresh food has the best taste. Satur Farms harvests, washes and packages its produce in the morning, then trucks it to customers in the afternoon. This freshness is just not comparable to produce that is grown far away (for example, in California, as it can take 10 days to get to us on the East Coast). Due to the time differential, produce that is shipped long distances is not picked ripe. You can imagine the taste difference. To satisfy their customers' needs for produce in the winter, Eberhard moves to Florida from October through the spring, where they lease 170 acres. He ships to Paulette and it arrives within 24 hours for her to package out to customers. 

Paulette explained that plants continue to produce energy after being picked, so if you harvest some greens and put them in a box overnight, then plunge your hands in the box the next morning, it will be a warm 90+ degrees. She explained this right before she showed me the quick chiller, where all harvested produce was brought down to a chilly temp within a couple minutes. Immediately after being chilled, it is washed and packed and sent on its way. Paulette commented several times about the aroma of fresh lettuce in the morning. You don't think of lettuce as fragrant, do you? However it's easy to imagine the heady fresh scent - probably not unlike freshly mown grass. I think I'd like a lettuce candle.

In addition to producing great food, Paulette and Eberhard believe in doing things as environmentally as possible, from growing to packaging. They also dream of reviving the agricultural community in Long Island to create more jobs. In recognition of their community efforts, Paulette was recenty appointed to the Governor's Regional Economic Council. Is there anything else these two can do? Oh, they recently acquired a new larger packaging facility so they can continue to grow and be more accessible to all of us. In addition to supplying top restaurants in the region, Satur Farms can now be purchased by retail consumers at FreshDirect and Whole Foods. If you are in the New York region, try their vegetables for a quality and flavor boost. If you're not, get out and meet your local growers!

Experimental beds and crops from gazebo

 

What I ate: OIympus Greek strawberry yogurt, 1 banana + Justin's chocolate hazel nut butter, 2 lattes, 4 Whole Foods Two Bite Chocolate Chip cookies, Rising Moon Organics mushroom ravioli + pesto, 4 cups of popcorn, brie cheese, grapes, 1 slize veggie pizza, pasta, mushroom stuffing, 3 mussels, salad, mashed potatoes, rhubarb pie + vanilla ice cream, 45 oz. water

Exercise: jogged 5 miles