It is SO hot, article, misc

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.

OMG- I think I made a casserole

Casserole is not one of my favorite words. However, I think it aptly describes our dinner tonight, a summery, yes summery, creation that T said to please make again very soon. My mom used to make a dressing of rice and beef, cooked with onions and garlic, stuff it in green bell peppers, top with homemade buttery croutons and bake. They were a comfort food that I remember being a consistent presence on our dinner table. Tom just can't love green peppers; it's taken 8 years of work to get him to tolerate red, yellow and orange ones if cooked and well mixed into something else. So using them as the serving bowl just would not suffice.

Summer squash is everywhere right now if you haven't noticed. As if it is a healthy, vegetal tsunami, you almost can't get away from its ongoing harvest. But it is at its peak, so crisp and good, just begging to be used in myriad ways. So, OK. I bought a large one, sliced into slim lengthwise strips and used them like lasagna noodles. Interspersed among three layers of them, I put my mixture of brown rice, ground beef, onions, garlic, lemon zest and a blend of Greek yogurt, mint and ground pistachios. I drizzled the whole thing with olive oil, baked and served with the remaining yogurt sauce. Yum and quite light. I'll post the recipe for you!

Wednesday adieu

What a whirlwind was today! Good but whew! Coffee with a friend I see too rarely, a long talk with my sister which is also too infrequent an occurrence, 5 quarts of sour cherries pitted, the quickest trip to the gym you ever did see, a date with each of my dear sons, and some dinner. You cannot(!) go wrong with this simple watermelon salad: steaky slices of fruit, feta, mint and aged balsamic. Perhaps a little fresh pepper but otherwise nothing more, nothing less. Simplicity at its best! In addition, this kale and sugar snap salad was delicious, a solid riff on a recipe from today's NYT Dining section as we didn't have the two primary dressing ingredients. Kitchen improv! Whoo-hoo! Did you know that the umami in ground dried mushrooms makes them a solid substitute for miso paste? Nice! Isn't it positively alive with glow and health?! And what a beautiful evening, yes?