A Genetically Modified Apple?

The following is a CBAN alert I received today. I had no idea a GM apple was in the works, let alone close to be approved. One question:why? I'd rather live with an apple that browns. You?




GM Apple Closer to U.S. Approval: Farce of Canadian public consultation exposed

July 9, 2012. Ottawa - Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture posted over 160 pages of data from Okanagan Specialty Fruits pertaining to their request for approval of a genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) “non-browning” apple.(1) The U.S. public now has 60 days to comment before a final decision is made by U.S. regulators.

This public comment period in the U.S. comes just six days after the closing of a public comment period in Canada, July 3, 2012. However, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s comment process was based on two pages of bullet points describing the data submitted by the company – the data itself was not provided.

“The CFIA should be deeply embarrassed for wasting Canadian’s time on a false invitation to comment on the GM apple,” said Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network. “The CFIA public comment period was always a sham because it was based on no data but this farce is now completely exposed.”

“It was simply an insult to ask Canadians to guess what data was submitted by the company,” said Sharratt, “Its high time Canadians had some democracy on this question of genetically modified foods.” CBAN has sent a letter to the CFIA expressing frustration about the lack of transparency and asking for an immediate halt to review of the GM apple.(2)

The U.S. announcement comes just days after a consumer poll commissioned by BC and Quebec apple grower associations found that 69% of Canadians do not want the GM apple.(3)

“This GM apple is a useless waste of time from start to finish,” said Wendy Wright of the Okanagan Greens Society, “The only conclusion is to stop this GM apple right away before our markets are damaged.”

Before reaching a final decision on the GM apple the U.S. government will also prepare an environmental assessment document for public comment, though similar assessments of other GM crops have been challenged in U.S. courts as inadequate. The timeline for a decision in Canada is unknown.

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For more: Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network, 613 241 2267 ext. 25; Wendy Wright, Okanagan Greens Society, (cell) 250 469 1881.

NOTES: (1) The data released on the GE apple by the U.S government can be seen at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/10_16101p.pdf
(2) This letter from CBAN to the CFIA can be viewed at http://www.cban.ca/content/view/full/1302
(3) The BC Fruit Growers Association and the Quebec Apple Producers Association released the Leger poll on July 3, 2012. The poll can be found athttp://www.bcfga.com/files/file/Report%20on%20GE%20survey%20-%20July%203%202012.pdf

Guest Post-Jo's Magic Mulligatawny Soup

Hey everyone!  It's me, Jo, the "green greens-eater", back for another guest blog posting.

I'm hot off the heels of one of my incapacitating stomachaches -- the ones I talked about briefly in my last post.  It's been a lifelong battle trying to figure out what triggers them.  Historically, it's been peppers (green, red, hot, etc), avacado, eggs, banana, kiwi, canteloupe... but also I have had run-ins with mango, berries, peaches, raisins... I hesitate to call them food allergies, because I'm not anaphylactic, and I occasionally CAN eat those foods (it's hit and miss), it's just that it sometimes results in severe pain that is 10/10 on my pain scale, narcotics don't touch it and the pain lasts 8-10 hours.  Needless to say, I TIPTOE AROUND FOODS.  My GI doctor diagnosed me with something called gastroparesis, and I medicate for that, but the meds don't always work.  So I tiptoe.

This week, I barely touched the contents of my basket.  I am like a little kid who bit into a lemon, made that face, and swore off lemons for life.  I need to get back on that horse and just try again, but it's scary after one of those stomachaches.  

I was thinking this week I was going to make soup.  There were a lot of little things in my CSA basket last week and this week.  Little beets, little carrots.  Leafy greens.  Some new things like purslane and sorrel.  I'd never heard of those before.  I'm pretty good around a pot of soup -- even in my Kraft-Dinner-eating early 20s, I always could throw together a pot of homemade vegetable soup.  And with the advent of the hand blender and a can of beans, I discovered you could make anything kind of look like a hearty bowl of goodness, so I'm rarely scared off soups.  Some years ago I happened upon a recipe for Mulligatawny soup that changed my life.  There were a kajillion ingredients (or so it seemed) and near the end I tasted it and thought it was magical.  Then I added the coconut milk and thought it doesn't get any more magical than that.  THEN I added the cilantro.  OHMYGOD you can't top this!!  THEN!!!  I added the lemon juice, and nearly fell of my chair.  It was around then that I realized it's really hard to screw up soup.

(I'll include the recipe at the bottom -- it's vegan/vegetarian and delightful)

I know it's 40something degrees out there, and I know the idea of a bowl of hot soup hardly appeals, never mind simmering something on the stove for an hour.  You can crockpot soups.  Or install an air conditioner in the kitchen, like I did.  It's the only AC in the house, but it motivates me to get in there and stay in there!  

Flash forward a day --

The heat broke and it's it's in the balmy 30s now.  Ahem.  I skipped the soup this week.  I went back to my old standby... sauted greens and tomatoes in with some curry and beans.  I substituted garam masala for the red curry I used last week and added a liberal amount of coriander.  I used "Great Northern Beans" this week, instead of my old standby, chick peas, and quickly realized there is a reason chick peas are my old standby. HA!  I much prefer them.  But I have never met a bean I didn't like at least a bit, so this pot will get eaten, for sure!  I'll include a picture (last week's picture didn't upload properly)

I've been eating the baby carrots straight up, and chowing down on the celery leaves (I forget what Linda called them).  On the whole, despite my minor setback, I'm still "doing greens" as I've taken to saying.  :)

I would love to get some recipes in the comments of what you guys are doing with your weekly baskets!  I'm still at the point where I don't know what a lot of the stuff is.  I'm sure I put some stuff in the saute today that didn't belong there (basil, maybe?), alas, it came out yummy!




*********************

Jo's Magic Mulligatawny Soup

Ingredients:

(you will need a hand blender for this dish)

some olive oil
some butter (ghee) (optional for vegan recipe)
2 onions (chopped)
2 sticks of celery (chopped)
fresh garlic (optional)
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp curry
1 tsp black fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
3 tbsp flour
6 cups vegetarian soup broth
2 carrots (chopped)
2 potatoes (chopped)
2 tomatos (chopped)
half a can of lentils
half a can of coconut milk
juice of half a lemon
cilantro

1. Heat the oil and the butter in a soup pot. Substitue all oil for butter
if you want this recipe to be vegan.
2. Brown the onions and the celery. Feel free to add some garlic, too, if
garlic is your thing.
3. Add all the powders (curry, coriander, garam masala, cumin, pepper and
flour to this mixture. Stir it to a paste. Add the 6 cups of soup base and
mix (before it burns!! HA)
4. Add the lentils, chopped carrots, diced potatos and diced tomatos. Simmer until veggies
soften. Stir periodically. Probably 20 minutes tops.
5. Take the pot off the stove, and use a hand blender to blend all
ingredients. 
6. Simmer about 10 more minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add (in this order) the lemon juice (stir), the
coconut milk (stir) and the chopped cilantro. Serve with brown or wild rice.

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Summer CSA-Week 2

Rain, glorious rain today!

A good rain, a soaking rain and a just what we needed rain.

They're coming!

You can irrigate with sprinklers and hoses and drip irrigation all you want, but nothing, absolutely NOTHING ever waters like a good drenching rain.

By my estimates everything will be much taller tomorrow morning, including the weeds.

No matter.

I'll be like a kid at Christmas, racing out my garden tomorrow to see what happened overnight.

My dad always told me most of the growing happens at night in a garden, or farmer's field.

I think that's true.

My late planted corn, although not "knee high by the first of July" will be knee high tomorrow. Betcha!

Todays baskets delivered into town by a frizzy haired madame, (that's me), contained lettuces, chard, mini beets or carrots, basils, garlic, leaf celery, a bit of dill, peppermint, and a bit more too.

The basils will keep coming, so better get creative!

Basil freezes very well, as does pesto and it is so wonderful in the middle of winter. What a hit of summer.

Basil ice cream is fabulous, basil soup, candied basil and the ultimate a dessert pairing basil and chocolate. Oh my.

This is what I'm making for dessert this week...and you?

Chocolate Basil Brownies

(from tastykitchen.com)

Enjoy!

Basil Bash - July 29, 2012

A portion of my fast growing basil patch

There are many tastes from the garden that say "summer" as soon as you sniff them or sink your teeth into them.
Beautiful, juicy ripe tomatoes, sassy hot peppers and milky sweet corn pulled off the stalk and devoured before it gets to the house.
Then of course there is basil, best friend of tomatoes and garlic and versatile beyond your wildest dreams. (Did I get carried away there?)
I'm not sure that any other herb defines summer quite as well.
And for my first "event of summer", before the big "Tomato Bash" September 2nd. and the "Pepper Palooza", date TBA., I'm holding a small celebration of this quintessential summer herb on Sunday July 29th, from 1-4 pm here at my small farm.
We'll begin by doing a little garden tour, followed by a tasting of the 50 plus basils varieties that I am growing this year. It's hard to imagine they could be so different, but some of them truly are.
I'll also have some wonderful basil dishes available for you to taste, created by my special guest chefs.
You'll have a chance to purchase fresh basil as well as a selection of basil products...some of them may surprise you! Other produce will be available for purchase too.
Stay and linger over a glass of wine, visit and relax.
Bring your lawn chair, sunscreen and visit the far reaches of Niagara. The other part of Niagara, where small and interesting things happen.
And basil grows!

Details:

July 29, 1-4 pm

74038 Reg Rd 45 Wellandport. (But remember, for your GPS, I am actually in the Township of Wainfleet)

 ph:905-386-7388,   treeandtwig@sympatico.ca

Heirloom garden tour, basil tasting, food samples created by guest chefs, a glass of wine provided or non-alcoholic beverage, purchase preserves and produce, visit and ask garden questions.

Cost:$15.00
CSA members-free!

Please preregister by using the above contact information, but you can pay when you arrive.

Attendance is limited, please let me know as soon as you can.

Hope to see you here!