It is SO hot, article, misc

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Wow, peeps. I like to be hot, but this 100+ weather is excessive, even my my standards. Dios! Have been in the kitchen all day in preparation for a bridal shower tomorrow. The menu is absolutely beautiful: Chardonnay-poached salmon; arugula salad with roasted peaches, mozzarella and pistachios; MB's potato salad; an array of breads; grapefruit tart; milk chocolate-caramel-hazelnut tart; watermelon-mint lassi. Aah! The salmon is poached and both desserts are made, the peaches are bundled together just ripening away, the watermelon is chopped and awaiting a trip through the blender tomorrow. Unfortunately it's supposed to be even hotter tomorrow, but it makes me all the more glad that this is such a light and lovely amalgam of dishes! ``````

I'm not sure if any of you follow Mark Bittman on twitter, but I do and found this article he tweeted recently to be interesting and sad. What a state we're in regarding food production, eating, obesity and health in this country. We are NOT healthy, we are NOT eating well, and it shows. Literally. Why change to our food policies -the Ag Bill and such- are so dreadfully slow/non-existent is beyond me. It is so short-sighted and irresponsible.

Along these lines, if you'd like to further encourage the FDA to ban unnecessary use of antibiotics in food-producing animals -a serious problem- you can sign this petition that's being circulated by the Center for Food Safety.

And, I've just signed on to a national movement in support of fair and humane treatment, pay and rights for the workers, many of whom are migrants, who enable Florida's enormous tomato industry: "From November to May, 90% of tomatoes sourced domestically and consumed in the United States are picked by farmworkers in and around Immokalee, Florida." The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a community-based organization of migrant workers, has partnered with the Fair Food Standards Council to implement the Fair Food Program. Tuesday, July 24 will be Slave-Free Tomato Day: before, on and after that Tuesday, consider purchasing your tomatoes from farmers markets and/or supermarkets and restaurants who've signed on to the Fair Food Program (such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods). On the 24th, I and a number of other food bloggers will be dedicating a post to a recipe utilizing slave-free tomatoes and offering ways for you to take action and encourage responsible purchasing. Visit The Giving Table for more information or to sign on.

A few things

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Busy but extremely productive catch-up day. Kids to camp, house cleaned, errands run, photography class completed. Aah. T is heading to Germany in the morning, so dinner tomorrow night will be a solo affair, and I plan to make something yummy! In the meantime, I really must encourage you to make Amanda Hesser's plum tart. I subbed pluots as they're in season RIGHT NOW and was thrilled. Mascarpone-whipped cream makes a fabulous accompaniment.

Second, did you read either/both of these articles? One is very moving, one really disheartening about the (failed?) state of morality in American society today. The first was the Modern Love essay in the Sunday Styles section of yesterday's NYTimes. It was a lovely, dear piece by a father about his son. The second was Maureen Dowd's Op-Ed about the perilous state of our character and morals, viewed through the lens of the grotesque accusations/truths coming to light in the Sandusky case as well as those from Horace Mann and others.