Food and Fitness Happy Easter! Was Man’s Diet More Nutritious in the “Good Old Days”? Did While fertiliz- Volume 121 vegetables ers can replace lost April 2012 and fruits nutrients some pack more sources claim that nutrients chemical fertilizers Websites of interest: then? Has enhance rapid growth cdc.gov/nutrition our soil be- of crops, thereby not paleodietandliving.com come nutritionally Agronomists, allowing fruits and aicr.org depleted leading to or soil experts, say vegetables enough realcajuncooking.com poorer quality pro- the possibility does time in the soil to de- choosemyplate.gov duce? Is organically exist that soil could velop full nutrient grown food more nu- become depleted. If potential. tritious? farmland In a study re- Were food is over- ported in the Decem- Inside this issue: choices used ber 2004 Journal of more through the American College Spring into 2- healthful intense of Nutrition Donald Greens! 3 long ago? cultiva- Davis reported Recipe Corner 4- Should we return to tion and the nutrients “finding reliable de- 6 the way of eating of are not replenished clines in the amount Paleo What? 7- our ancestors in the this could happen. of protein, calcium, 8 stone age? These are However, farmers phosphorus, iron, ri- News You Can 9 questions frequently typically use either boflavin and vitamin Use posed by today’s organic or chemical C over the past half health conscious con- fertilizers to replace century” in 43 differ- sumer. depleted nutrients. (Continued on page 3) Page 2 Food and Fitness Spring into Greens! Green vegetables, that bly devoted to France and the Cajuns developed their own is! At last! Spring is once “Romish Religion…” dialect and a vibrant culture more upon us! Let’s chase www.blupete.com/Hist/Nova that revolves around music, those winter blues away with ScotiaBk1/Part6/Ch17.htm) storytelling, a bit of supersti- a taste of hot, spicy Cajun According to this history of tion and a distinctive cuisine. food from the Nova Scotia, Aca- South. Or is Cajun cuisine could be it actually dians disembarked called “rustic” because local- food from the at the various ports ly available ingredients pre- North? Alt- of the English colo- dominate, and preparation is hough this cui- nies. Some, if not simple. An authentic Cajun sine is consid- by boat then by meal is usually a three-pot af- ered to be foot, made their fair, with one pot dedicated to “Southern” its roots are in our way through the territories we the main dish, one dedicated to steamed rice, and the third neighboring country, Canada. know today as the state of containing whatever vegeta- Cajun cuisine (or Cui- Maine and the Canadian bles are plentiful or available. sine Acadienne) is the style of province of New Ground cay- cooking named for the Brunswick. enne & fresh French-speaking Acadian or Many contin- black pepper "Cajun" immigrants deported ued their journey are also used by the British in 1755 from south, ending in the often as spic- es. Acadia, Canada to the region warm and hospitable of Louisiana now called Aca- climate of the Louisi- diana. ana Territory. Many (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Approximately 6,000 settled around bodies of water Cajun_cuisine) Acadians re- in small com- fused to munities that In the culture of South swear alle- shared their Louisiana, the aromatic vege- giance to the religious con- tables bell pepper, onion, and British flag victions. After celery are called the “trinity” because their estab- of Creole and Cajun cuisines. Research this term and you "they [were] lishment in will find some variations on most inflexi- Louisiana the (Continued on page 3) Volume 121 Page 3 Spring into Greens/Was Man’s Diet More Nutritious? (Continued from page 2) (Continued from page 1) target of 2 or more fruits and 3 or more vegetables daily. what ingredients compromise ent fruits and vegetables. He The American Institute for this threesome. (Some refer attributed these declines in Cancer Research recom- to it as the “trinity times nutritional value to efforts to mends that 2/3 of your plate two”, adding garlic, green on- improve growth rate, size and be filled with fruits, vegeta- ion, and parsley as essential for flavor.) Roughly chopped pest resistance of crops by bles, whole grains, and beans. and combined in cooking, this farmers. The Dietary Approaches to mix calls to mind the use of Some sources say that Stop Hypertension recom- the mire poix in traditional foods grown organically may mends 4 fruit servings and 4- French cuisine which blends have 40-58% more of some 5 vegetables servings daily. nutrients such as vitamin C, Tips to increase vegetable and zinc, iron, and polyphenols. fruit consumption: When crops are organically Keep bags of frozen vege- fertilized bacteria in the soil tables handy for a quick must first act upon organic addition to any meal. matter to make the nitrogen, Have a fresh, raw salad phosphorous and potassium every lunch and dinner. diced onion, celery, and car- available. This would indeed Vary the ingredients. rots. require more time to produce the same nutrients from the Add cut up fruit to salads. This month’s recipe organic fertilizer that are corner features a variation of Add berries or banana to the traditional Cajun gumbo. readily available to soil from dry cereal or oatmeal. chemical fertilizers. While gumbo is usually made Add green grapes to as a hearty soup with chicken, It appears that our big- chicken salad. seafood or sausage, Gumbo gest health risk with regard to Add pineapple and manda- Z’herbes, when made with vegetables and fruits contin- vegetable broth instead of rin orange sections to ues to be that we just don’t chicken broth, is a vegetarian coleslaw. eat enough of them. The version, often served in the Center for Disease Control Increase portion sizes of Lenten season preceding vegetables while shrinking Easter. and Prevention reports that only 32.5% of adults meet the meat or chicken portion!!! Page 4 Food and Fitness Recipe Corner Gumbo Z’herbes Gumbo Filé (ground sassa- you’ll see bubbles forming (from the French phrase des fras leaves which add flavor and the roux will look a little herbes or gumbo “of gras- and thicken the gumbo) like pancake batter. Keep ses”) For roux-making stirring. Don’t answer the cast iron cookware is a phone; don’t text any- “First, you make a one. Stay committed. STIR. roux…” must due to its heat- retention characteris- After 7 or 8 minutes, ½ cup olive oil tics. A 7-quart pot the flour’s texture will change ¾ cup flour is big enough to con- a bit. The mixture will no Many Cajun recipes begin tain this finished gumbo. longer be pasty, and it will with a roux, but every gumbo Heat the oil in the cast darken. A light, nutlike, begins this way! iron pot over medium-high toasted aroma wafts up from the pot; the texture will thin a 1 bunch mustard greens heat. When a tiny pinch of flour dropped into the oil siz- little, and 1 small head cabbage zles, vigorously whisk in the stirring is 1 bunch or bag baby spinach flour, continuing to stir until easi- leaves all lumps are gone. Because er. Keep 1 bunch kale of the simplicity of this gum- stir- ring. En- 1 bunch parsley bo, I like to use extra flour. A thicker roux creates a silkier joy your “roux facial” of va- 1 bunch green onions gumbo in the end. The extra pors rising from the pot. 1 red bell pepper, chopped flour can add texture in the At the 10-12 minute 3 ribs celery, chopped absence of seafood or meat. mark, stirring is key. The At this point, switch roux’s texture changes 2 small white onions, again. It is granular, noticea- chopped from a whisk to a spatula or flat-ended spoon. A wooden bly thicker, and no oil sepa- 3 pods garlic, minced implement is a good choice, rates at the 2-3 quarts chicken or vegeta- as it won’t absorb heat from edges. The ble broth the pot or roux, keeping your color is much darker 2 bay leaves hand safely cool during the long stirring. –past 1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper “peanut butter” and into dark Keep stirring; over the 1 tsp. dried thyme caramel. Make it as dark as next 12-15 minutes the you like. Salt and freshly ground black starches in the flour will cook pepper and caramelize. At first, Continue the gumbo by Volume 121 Page 5 Recipe Corner prepping an odd number of stirring often, until the veg- ture. Cover the pot, and cook leafy greens. Folklore holds gies begin to soften. Then, the greens at least an hour, that an even number used in stir in three cloves of garlic, stirring occasionally. the gumbo is unlucky. Seven finely minced. Once the greens are is the usual number. For this Now, add two tender, stir in batch, we use leafy mustard, to three quarts the chopped cabbage, of room tem- parsley and spinach, perature chick- chopped green kale and en or vegetable onions. The flat-leaf broth (depends juice of a lem- pars- on the size of on is nice, ley. Other your pot) and as too. Add the commonly used greens in- many of the salt, pepper, a clude beet tops, carrot tops, or washed, torn few shakes of turnip greens. greens as will fit into the cayenne pepper, and simmer Wash the pot. Put the lid on and cook for an additional half hour.